


Adventure, Probably

by FallenAngelMuse



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/F, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:14:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 24,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24775960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenAngelMuse/pseuds/FallenAngelMuse
Summary: "These violent delights have violent endsAnd in their triumph die, like fire and powder,Which, as they kiss, consume. The sweetest honey."~Romeo & JulietTeam TARDIS stumble upon the reader as they are trying to teleport back to Sheffield. The reader, fearing nothing and everything, decides to join them on their travels, and along the way perhaps falls for a certain time lady. What events will ensue in the trips to come? Adventure, probably.
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor & Yasmin Khan & Graham O'Brien & Ryan Sinclair & Reader, Thirteenth Doctor/You
Comments: 76
Kudos: 33
Collections: Doctor Who Fanfics





	1. Don't Consume the Earth, Please

It was a painfully normal day for you, so much so that you went to the backyard and risked getting sun burnt in the blazing hot sun. There was, however, one saving grace, and that was the slight breeze blowing through the trees above you. You sat back, closed your eyes, and enjoyed the sounds of the world around you. Although, there was a strange sound right next to your ear that interrupted the calmness of the yard. It startled you so much that you quickly hid behind one of the trees and scraped your hand on the sharp bark, earning a hiss. Looking from your bleeding hand back to where the sound came from, a blue police box materialized and a blonde woman came out of the door with three other people in tow. 

“And here we… are?” The lady said with a northern English accent before looking around. “Well, this doesn’t look like Sheffield.” You furrowed your brows at that and slowly came out from behind the tree.

“That’s because it’s not Sheffield, or anywhere near there for that matter.” You told her. That is when the other three stepped outside, a young man and woman, and an older gentleman.

“What is this, the tenth time we’ve tried getting the TARDIS back to Sheffield?” The older gentleman spoke, with the same accent.

“What in the hell is a TARDIS?” You questioned him. You hadn’t even noticed the blonde lady moved until she spoke next to you, effectively spooking the hell out of you.

“It stands for time and relative dimension in space. In short, a space and time machine.”

“Do not do that! You scared the-- are you eating dirt?” 

“Well, I had to figure out where we were if you wouldn’t tell me.” She stated innocently. You grimaced before taking her hand and brushing the dirt out of it and wincing when your hand stung from the contact. You hoped you hid it well.

“You didn’t even ask me! Plus, you’re in my yard and I didn’t even ask you who you all even are. I am one of those people they talk about getting kidnapped for talking to strangers.” They all started to introduce themselves one by one after you made that point.

“I’m Graham.” The older man said.

“I’m Ryan.” The younger man behind him said.

“My name’s Yasmin, but my friends call me Yaz.” Said the young woman. 

“And I’m The Doctor!” The blonde lady told you brightly, holding out her hand for you to shake. _Ah,_ you thought to yourself _, they have the same accent_. You went to shake it before the Doctor furrowed her brows and grabbed your wrist. 

“What’s that?” She asked you, prodding your wounded, and still bleeding, palm. You hissed, trying to retrieve it from the woman, but her hold was strong. 

“It’s really nothing,” you told her, “just a scratch.” She gave you a look before dragging you by the wrist into her blue box-- sorry-- TARDIS. You didn’t even have time to look around before you were dragged into a corridor and then into a room. She left you in the middle of it when she went through a cupboard off to the side, obviously looking for something. She let out a triumphant noise once she found it and walked back to you.

“Sit.” She said, directing you to a nearby bed. With you perched on the side of the bed, she held her hand out expectantly. You tried to protest, but the look she gave you silenced anything that was going to come out of your mouth. You rolled your eyes and gave her your hand, which she grabbed in a soft, but firm, hold. You watched her as she inspected the cut and grabbed a cloth. “Alright, here we go.” She told you, pressing it to the cut.

“Ow!” You yelled as you tried to pull back.

“I did tell you it might hurt.”

“No, you didn’t.” You said. She scrunched up her nose in response before answering.

“Well, I meant to.” The sting went away as she cleaned off the dirt and blood. She fished for something in the pockets of her lilac coat before holding up a metal cylinder topped with a crystal. She waved it over your hand, the cylinder eliciting a buzzing noise, before a beep sounded. You looked at her with raised brows before you felt a pulling sensation on your palm. You watched as the wound stitched itself back together, leaving only a small-ish scar in its wake. 

“Brilliant! All healed.” The Doctor told you with a grin. 

“What was that?” You questioned incredulously, touching the skin where the laceration used to be. 

“Sonic screwdriver. Well, I say screwdriver, but it’s a bit more multi-purpose than that.”

“How is it multi-purpose? What else does it do?”

“It’s a scanner, diagnostics… tin opener. More of a sonic Swiss army knife. Only without the knife. Only idiots carry knives.” She said before walking out of the room. You just sat there for a minute till she popped her blonde head back in the doorway.

“Aren’t you coming?” She asked you before you got up and followed her back to the main room where the others were standing. They looked at you expectantly before you caught on.

“Oh! My name is Y/N, by the way. I was going to tell you earlier, but then _someone_ decided to drag me off.” You said teasingly. 

“Welcome aboard the TARDIS, Y/N!” The Doctor beamed at you.

“So, you were trying to travel to Sheffield?” 

“Yes, right, we’re still trying to do that, right, Doc?” Graham asked her and she gave a nod. 

“Can I come with?” They all raised their heads at your voice. “If what you say is true, and this is a space time machine thing, can I come traveling with you guys?” You asked hopefully. The group all looked at you before looking to the Doctor. “Please?” 

“On these trips, on these planets, I can’t guarantee your safety. I want you to know that. I can’t keep you safe or out of harm’s way.” The Doctor told you seriously. 

“I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself.” At that, she broke into a grin and gave you the biggest hug you’ve had in your life, spinning you a bit before setting you back on the ground. 

“Brilliant!” She shouted, flitting over to a console-looking thing in the center of the room.

“Let me just call and tell my mom where I’ll be. And before you say anything, yes, I am 19 and still living with my parents, so shush.” You said as you dialed your mom’s number. Before you both hung up and said your ‘I love yous’, she asked,

“Where will you all be going? What will you be doing?” 

“Adventure, probably.”

A/N: Sorry, it took a while to get the motivation to write, I've been going through some stuff. This is a rewritten version of my other fic, which I am debating on deleting, so I hope you enjoy! Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts, feelings, critiques, or questions! <3


	2. Is that really Rosa Parks? (Pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team TARDIS, plus you, are trying to get back to Sheffield, but they end up somewhere completely different and completely *not* Sheffield. I do not own the show or characters, everything belongs to the BBC, besides you. I debated putting this off, or just not including this episode, but I felt the need to write this chapter. Yes, I am white and have absolutely no idea what BIPOC go through on a daily basis just because they exist, but I stand with you. Black lives matter. Much love

After what felt like ages, the TARDIS landed and the Doctor was sure that you all had finally landed in Sheffield. You watched as she poked her blonde head out the door.

“Nearly.” She mumbled. The gang all followed her to the door.

“Sheffield?” Yaz questioned. 

“Almost.” 

“So, not Sheffield, then?” Graham spoke. You then heard the Doctor grumble to herself before speaking to the group again.

“This is the ninth attempt.”

“Fourteenth, actually,” quipped Graham, “Can you really control this thing?”

“‘Scuse me. Yes, I can. Well, most of the time. But sometimes, like now, it has a mind of its own.” 

“Well, if you’re just going to stand there wondering where we are, I’m going outside to see.” You said as you walked to the doors. However, you barely got a foot outside before a hand pulled you inside by the back of your shirt. “Hey!” You exclaimed.

“Oh, no you don’t.” The Doctor told you before heading over to the console, dragging you behind her before she let go of the fabric. Putting on a pout, you watched in confusion as she translated the symbols popping up on the console. 

“So, where are we then?” Yaz asks.

“Earth, United States. 1955, Montgomery, Alabama. That is, if I’m reading the new displays properly. Still figuring them out.” The Doctor responds. Your jaw dropped for a moment before you closed your mouth.

“You weren’t kidding when you said it was a time machine.” 

“So, the fact that it’s bigger on the inside didn’t tip you off?” Ryan asked with a cheeky smile. 

“Shush. I didn’t really have time to look around since _someone_ decided to drag me to whatever that room was.” You said, gesturing to the Doctor who gave a sheepish grin. 

“Well, I am a doctor and you were my patient. Medicine takes precedence over tours.” She told you.

“Anyway, you said 1955? Could we see Elvis?” Graham asked with excitement in his eyes. 

“I think he’s in New York this week, but I suppose I could call him.” The Doctor responded.

“You do _not_ have Elvis’s phone number.”

“Don’t tell anyone I lent him a mobile phone.” As soon as the words leave the Doctor’s mouth, a loud alarm blares inside the TARDIS. 

“What the hell is going on?” You shout, flinching a bit from the noise.

“Oi! Language!” Scolds the Doctor before looking back at the console displays. “Artron energy?” 

“What is artron energy?” You whisper to Yaz, earning a shrug in response. Obviously overhearing your small conversation, the Doctor responds.

“It’s the same type of energy the TARDIS runs off of, but it shouldn’t be here. The only reason it should be here is if it was ours, but it’s not.”

“And now you want to check it out.” Yaz says with a small laugh. The Doctor looks back to you all before speaking again.

“Yeah, I should. Quick look, but quietly. We don’t want to disturb history, it’s very delicate. We stick together.” She says as you and the gang head out of the TARDIS.

*************

Coming upon a street, well, more like a promenade, you hear Yaz gush about how time travel is so amazing. You laugh a little bit, but you are very much on edge. You know how your country was, and still is, very racist. You watch as Ryan grabs a glove that fell on the ground and runs up to a couple. 

“Excuse me, excuse me! You dropped this.” He says, and is quickly slapped by the man accompanying the woman. Hard. He stumbles but is quickly caught by Graham. “Hey!” He shouts at the man.

“Get your filthy black hands off my wife.” The man says, voice low.

“Hey, back off!” You quip, walking to stand next to Ryan. The Doctor is quick to follow, putting herself in front of all of you with her hands splayed out. 

“Whoa. Stop.” She says, trying to de-escalate the situation as best she can.

“Sir, please take a step back. You alright, Ryan?” Yaz asks. 

“I was just trying to give her back her glove.” Ryan tells her before throwing the glove back on the ground. 

“Is that your boy?” The man asks Graham.

“He’s my grandson, actually.”

“Your… what?” 

“My grandson.” Graham tells him again, anger lacing his words. 

“You ain’t from around here.” The man speaks again. The Doctor speaks slowly and calmly to him, saying,

“We don’t want any trouble.”

“I don’t know how it is where you folks are from, but your boy, he’ll be swinging from a tree with a noose for a neckerchief if he touches a white woman in Montgomery.” He responds.

“Say that again and I swear you’ll be seeing stars in a minute.” You tell him, eyes dark.

“Y/N! This is not the time, you are not helping.” The Doctor hisses at you. A woman walks up and puts herself in between the two groups. 

“There a problem here, Mr. Steele?” She asks the man politely. “Step away now. Go ahead, step away.” She whispers to Ryan. 

“These friends of yours?” The man, Mr. Steele, asks.

“No, sir. Just on my lunch break, wondering if I can help with any misunderstanding. Oh, I believe your suit will be ready tomorrow. The alterations make it look just right, sir.” She says.

“Let’s go, Lizzie.” Mr. Steele says as he and his, who you presume to be, wife walk away. The woman then turns on the Doctor, Ryan, Graham, Yaz, and yourself.

“Are you crazy?”

“He slapped me.” Ryan responds. 

“Don’t you read the newspapers? You know what they did to young Emmett Till.”

“We’re from out of town.” The Doctor interjects.

“So was Emmett Till, on vacation from the north. Couple of words to a white woman, and next thing, they find his body in the river. You want that to be you?” 

“No.” Ryan mumbles.

“Did your mother raise you with no manners? I’ll take a ‘no ma’am’.”

“No, ma’am.”

“You all together?” She asks the Doctor. 

“Yes. We are very grateful, Miss…” The Doctor trails off, waiting for the woman to give her name.

  
“ _Mrs_. Parks, Rosa Parks.” She responds, leaving you all dumbfounded and a bit starstruck.

A/N: Greetings! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, it took a bit. I'm going to be doing this episode in two parts because it is a lot to write. I decided to do this episode because it very much relates to what is going on currently. Black lives matter. Always.


	3. Author's Note (Not a Chapter)

Greetings all, I apologize for not updating for a bit. My health hasn't been the best, with my chronic conditions and such, so I haven't had the energy or strength to update. Do not worry, however, I am still continuing the story, I've just really been going through it lately. I hope you understand and don't hold it against me. Being disabled and chronically ill is no walk in the park. Please forgive me, but there will be a chapter up next week, I pinky promise, and I never break a pinky promise <3


	4. Not a Warm Welcome (Pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and the fam do not receive a warm welcome in Alabama. Your condition is getting worse, however, and is getting harder to hide from the group... just how long do you think you can keep it a secret?

“No way.” Yaz exclaims in awe.

“You’re kidding.” Graham chimes in.

“Brilliant. Rosa Parks. Lovely to meet you, Rosa Parks. Big fan.” The Doctor says. Rosa looks confused.

“Excuse me?” She says.

“Big fan of… Montgomery. I am… we are just visiting. Recommend anything for us tourists?” 

“I recommend you get yourselves the hell out of Alabama before you find yourselves in trouble that you can’t get out of.” Rosa responds before walking away. The Doctor scans her with her sonic. 

“That was actually  _ the  _ Rosa Parks.” You whisper.

“Amazing,” the Doctor mumbled, “Also a problem. Registering traces of artron energy all around her. Why is that?” 

“No clue, but can we please sit down somewhere?” You asked, swaying a bit and hoping it wasn’t noticeable. You should have known better because of course the Doctor noticed.

“Are you alright?” She asked, scrunching her nose in concern. 

“Yeah, of course, just tired.” You lied. The look she gave you said that she didn’t buy it. You could tell she wanted to say something else before Graham spoke.

“Yeah, Doc. Maybe we could find someplace to eat?” 

“Alright.” She said, and you all went off to find some food. Black dots clouded your vision for a moment before you followed. Coming across a bar called Slim’s, the gang sat down at a table, but the Doctor fell behind to talk with you. “Are you sure you’re okay?” She asked, placing her cool hands on your face, most likely feeling for fever. 

“I’m fine, really!” You told her, shaking her hands off. She gave a disbelieving hum before you both joined the gang at the table. 

“...refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus to a white passenger, and got arrested for it. Her arrest started a boycott of the buses in Montgomery.” You heard Yaz say as you and the Doctor walked up to the table to sit. It was glorious to be able to sit, your body did not handle being upright very well.

“Or rather, will start. Today is Wednesday, November 30th, 1955. Rosa refuses to give up her seat tomorrow.” The Doctor chimed in. You kind of zoned out from the conversation, feeling like you were being watched by the other patrons in the bar. 

“Is it me or has it gone quiet in here?” Graham spoke, drawing the attention of the rest of the gang to the silence in the room. A waitress walked up to the table and looked you all up and down before speaking to Ryan.

“We don’t serve negroes.” She drawled. 

“Good, ‘cause I don’t eat them.” Ryan spat back. 

“Or Mexicans.” She said, looking at Yaz. 

“Is she talking to me?” Yaz asked.

“Ya’ll need to eat somewhere else.” The waitress finished. You were about to say something before the Doctor shot you a look.

“Come on.” The Doctor told you all before getting up from the table. You went to follow, but not before deciding to knock over a glass of water onto the waitress. 

“Oops. Just a little dizzy.” You told her, which wasn’t exactly a lie, but definitely wasn’t the whole truth. You met back up with the group outside.

“Oi. Keep that up and I’ll use you as a pinata.” Yaz told Ryan as you walked up. 

“Why are we using Ryan as a pinata?” You questioned. 

“No time, we have to find where the artron energy is stemming from.” The Doctor said before walking off. 

“Why can’t we just be stationary for 15 minutes?” You mumbled under your breath. You heard a chuckle from Graham before he spoke.

“With the Doc? No chance. We don’t have time to grab food let alone sit. Come on, kiddo, let’s catch up.” He said, giving your shoulder a quick squeeze. 

*************

You all arrive at a buswork company and you are exhausted and dizzy. You sway on your feet and catch Yaz’s arm.

“Uh, Doctor?” She says to grab the Doctor’s attention. It didn’t quite work. “Doctor!” She yelled. 

“Yeah, Yaz?” The Doctor stopped and turned to look at her friend. She saw how pale you looked and instantly scrunched her nose as she came closer to inspect you. “Oh.” She said. The Doctor placed the back of her hand on your head, but there was no fever. You quickly shook it off before speaking. 

“I’m fine, it’s just the heat. I’m not suited for it.” You laughed. 

“Could Y/N just stay back in the shade for a bit, Doc?” Graham questioned. The Doctor’s mouth pulled into a line and she nodded, heading back to the front of the group.

“I could stay with her so you know she has someone watching over her.” Ryan offered her. 

“No, there’s no need for that, I just need to--”

“Yes, absolutely. 10 points to Sinclair for being helpful. Ryan will stay with Y/N whilst Graham, Yaz, and I go investigate where this artron energy is coming from.” The Doctor stated, cutting you off before you could even finish you sentence, which was rude and made you pout a bit. The rest of the gang walked onward while you and Ryan went to stand, or, in your case, sit, in the shade. 

“So…” You trailed off, trying to ease the awkwardness you felt.

“So.” Ryan replied. 

“How did you start travelling with the Doctor?” You asked him. 

“It’s a long story.” He told you. 

“I’m sure we have time, right?” 

“Would you believe me if I told you that the Doctor actually fell through the roof of the train?” 

“Considering we traveled through time to get here, I’d believe it.” You chuckled. Ryan was about to speak again before Graham, Yaz, and the Doctor came running toward you. The Doctor grabs you by the arm and you all start running, blasts of energy following you. You all run to where the fuel tanks are kept and the Doctor pushes you all behind one for safety. Dark spots cloud your vision as you semi-fall on Yaz. 

“Stay here.” The Doctor tells you all before climbing on top of one of the tanks.

“Oi, Brando, looking for us? I’m not armed.” She shouts. Normally you’d be confused and furrow your brows, but you’re trying really hard not to pass out and reveal something you’d rather keep hidden. Yaz wraps an arm around your shoulder to steady you before you hear a man's voice shout back.

“Is that supposed to make me not shoot you?” The man asks.

“Ideally. So, temporal displacement weapon. Horrible things, can’t stand them.”

“Thank you.”

“Not a compliment. Takes a lot of power to displace things in time. I think you and I both know your weapon is out of juice, and I’ve got your spare battery. You’ve been leaving residual traces of artron energy all over 1955.” The Doctor tells him. 

And what are you, the artron police?” Laughs the man. “Maybe you are. The blue box in the alley… is it a TARDIS?”

“Might be. What’s it to you?”

“Well, it could be worth a lot.”

“Nah, not that one. Second hand, huge mileage, one careless owner.” The Doctor tells him. She says something else too, but your hearing is in and out as you focus on staying awake. The next thing you know, the Doctor is back in front of you telling you all to follow her. You don’t notice the look she gives you and Yaz. You find yourselves at a nearby motel and you all notice the ‘Whites Only’ sign.

“I’m getting pretty sick of seeing that sign.” Ryan grumbles.

“So, how are we going to do this?” Yaz asks. Graham decides that it would be best to let them in through the bathroom window of the room, so that’s exactly what they did. 

“Last time I sneaked into someone’s room was Danny Biswas in year 10.” Yaz laughed.

“You just went right down in my estimation.” Ryan replied. 

“Alright.” 

“Danny Biswas? Punching well above his weight, that one.”

“Did you just accidentally pay me a compliment?” Yaz asked, bewildered, but with a smirk on her face.

“Whatever.” Mumbled Ryan under his breath. You were kind of fading in and out so while the rest of the fam were making a plan, you went to the bathroom to try to cool, and calm, yourself down. Splashing cold water on your face and neck only helped a little, though, and it wasn’t long till Ryan and Yaz came back into the room and shut the door behind them. You raised your eyebrows and they both mouthed ‘police officer’. You gave a nod in understanding. You were still a bit dizzy, so you didn’t even notice when the two climbed out the window to hide behind the dumpster. Your eyes were closed when the door opened suddenly, so you dried your face quickly to see a man in a police uniform standing there.

“Can I help you?” You asked, feigning an accent that matched the Doctor’s. The policeman shook his head and walked back to the Doctor and Graham. 

“Hmm… just get yourselves gone as soon as your business is concluded, mmmhm?” He told the three of you before leaving the hotel room. 

“I did not warm to him.” The Doctor said after the door closed.

A/N: See? I did tell you that I never break a pinky promise. I'm not exactly better, since my conditions are chronic, but I'm not as bad as I was last week. I also lied a bit because this episode is going to be in three parts instead of two because I said so. I hope you enjoy and feel free to leave comments as usual <3


	5. Dizzy Confessions (Pt. 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the police officer leaves, the truth comes out about you. On the bright side, the Doctor handles it well and you're all off on an adventure.

“Me either.” You responded, dropping the accent and sitting on the bed. Graham went to the bathroom window to let Yaz and Ryan back in. The Doctor waves her sonic over the wall and some writing appears, making you jaw drop. “When did you write that? How did you even… you know what, nevermind.” The Doctor gives you a small smile before speaking again.

“Where were we? We need as much information as we can get. If we’re going to protect Rosa, we need to know the facts of her life. Home address, daily routine, where she works, the route she takes, and the church she attends. Also the name of the driver she refused.” She told you all.

“Well, I know that. It’s James Blake.” Graham spoke. 

“How do you know that?” Asked Ryan. 

“Well, your nan, when she found out I was a bus driver, said to me, ‘you’d better not be like James Blake. Blake the snake,’ that’s what she called him. I had to ask her who he was and she just said he gave all bus drivers a bad name.” 

“She said that when you’d only just met?” Yas questioned incredulously.

“Yeah.” Graham chuckled and Ryan gave a laugh as well.

“That’s pretty hardline.”

“Yeah, that’s me nan.” Said Ryan with a small laugh. 

“Yeah. She had a t-shirt that said ‘The Spirit of Rosa’ and… well, I wish she was here.” Graham finished sadly. You looked at Ryan and he had a similar air about him. 

“I don’t. She’d start a riot.” After a small pause, the Doctor spoke up again. 

“Right. Operation Rosa Parks.” She says. Yaz and Ryan search for bus times, telephone books, and newspapers until Yaz comes across an ad for clothing repairs at a department store. 

“I think I’ve found where she works, Montgomery Fair Department Store.” Yaz said.

“And if the phone book is right, this is where she lives.” Ryan piped up. You just kind of sat there while this was happening, feeling a bit useless. Graham held out the bus timetable and pointed to the times on the paper. 

“Right, so these bus routes don’t go near Rosa’s shop or house, but these ones do.” He said.

“Great. If we can find Rosa’s route and time today, we can keep an eye on her tomorrow. Who’s up for a bus ride?” The Doctor asks. Graham raises his hand and you all go to leave. You stand up and instantly your vision goes black and you drop to the floor unconscious. When you come around, you notice that your head is cradled on something soft and you can hear Graham, Ryan, and the Doctor mumbling off to your right. You open your eyes fully to see Yaz looking down at you with a concerned expression on her face. She alerts the Doctor and the rest of the group comes closer to you.

“You alright, kiddo?” Graham questions. 

“Yeah, I’m fine, no worries.” You gave a smile as you sat up and leaned against the end of the bed. 

“Yes, worries!” The Doctor exclaimed. She knelt in front of you and placed her hands on your cheeks, then quickly moved to put the back of one against your forehead. Giving a sigh, you watched as she pulled a stethoscope from inside her coat and pressed the receiver to your chest and pressed her fingers to your wrist.

“I honestly don’t--” You began, but the Doctor cut you off with a look. 

“Your pulse is alarmingly high.” She told you, scrunching her face. “Why is that? You just stood up.” You held your breath for a moment, really not wanting to inform her of what was really happening, but it seemed that you had no choice. 

“Well…” You trailed off.

“Y/N.”

“I have a medical condition that causes me to pass out and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I just didn’t want you to take me back home because I really want to travel with you and--”

“Y/N, it’s okay. I just wish you would have told me sooner. I need to know everything so I can keep you, and the fam, as safe as possible.” The Doctor reassured you. “You okay to stand?” She asked, and you nodded. She wrapped an arm around you to steady you and make sure you didn’t pass out again. “Right. Who’s ready for a bus ride?” The Doctor asks, squeezing your shoulder.

A/N: Greetings, all, I am back with another chapter. I also may have lied again, this episode is going to be in as many parts as it takes to write because I am in week three of a chronic illness/pain flare and I am exhausted. I hope you understand. As always, feel free to leave comments <3


	6. Rise Up (End of Ep. Rosa)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and the fam are off to find out as much information as possible so you can pull off Operation Rosa and stop Krasko from ruining a pivotal moment in history. You pull off the plan, but just when you think you can relax, the Doctor wants to see you.

You and the rest of the fam walk down to the bus stop near the motel and wait. After about five minutes of standing there, a bus arrives and you board. Finding a seat, the Doctor sits next to you and Graham in the seat behind. They start to talk while you watch Yaz try to find which section she’s ‘supposed’ to be in, since the bus driver let her on the front of the bus. Speaking of, you wonder where Ryan went. You receive your answer when you turn around and see Ryan enter through the rear door. _God, this era makes me sick_ , you think to yourself. 

“This is me, on the back of the bus.” Ryan grumbles. 

“I’m so ashamed,” Graham mumbles to Ryan, “you shouldn’t have to do this.”

“I agree. I’m sorry, Ryan.” The Doctor says sincerely.

“The driver let me on at the front of the bus. What does that mean for where I sit? Obviously not a lot of Pakistani heritage ‘round here. Does colored just mean black in 1955? Guess I’ll park my south Asian-Mexican backside in the white section then and see what happens.” Yaz tells the group before mumbling to herself. “Riding the bus in Montgomery. Good times.” You all reached a bus stop that was across the street from where Rosa worked.

“That’s where she works. This must be her stop.” Yaz says, pointing out the window.

“Perfect. We can wait here, then get on the bus with her when she finishes work, have a little chat.” The Doctor chimes in and ushers you all off the bus and onto the long bench at the bus stop. You take the opportunity to sit down and Graham takes the opportunity to sit next to you.

“You sure you’re alright, love?” He asks, a hint of worry in his voice. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Promise.” You smile at him.

“Alright, but if you don’t feel good, you tell us, yeah?” 

“Will do, gramps.” You chuckle and lightly hit his shoulder with yours.

“Oi!” He laughs. You don’t know when it happened, but you must have dozed off a little waiting for Rosa to get off work because soon you’re lightly shaken by Graham. “Hey, wake up sleepin’ beauty.” He says to you. You give a little groan before standing up, feeling dizzy, you reach a hand out and grab Graham’s arm. You miss the look the Doctor gives you as you board the bus to sit with Rosa. 

“Hi, nice to see you again. Mrs. Parks, right?” Yaz asks her.

“Yes.”

“You helped us out earlier with our little misunderstanding.” The Doctor says.

“I remember. British.”

“Yes. Funny thing, you’ll never believe this, we’re actually doing market research for bus companies. Looking at people’s transport habits. Answer the questions, enter the raffle for a prize. You get this bus this time every day?” She asks Rosa.

“Most days. Always this time.” Rosa responds, looking the Doctor up and down wearily. 

“And you live…?” 

“Cleveland Court. Next stop. Ma’am, if you keep sitting there, we’ll all have to move.” 

“What d’you mean?” Questions Graham. Rosa gives a tired sigh.

“If white folks need seats, by law, I have to give mine up. The middle section is only for colored folks if white folk don’t need it.”

“Well, that’s not right.” Graham says, a bit shocked. The Doctor moves to an empty white seat.

“Tell your company that, sir. If I win your raffle, will that give me the right to sit anywhere I want on this bus?” Rosa asks him.

“No.” The Doctor tells her sadly.

“Didn’t think so. This is my stop.” She says and she exits through the rear door.

“I’m going to follow her, see what I can find out. Meet you back at the motel later.” Ryan chimes in before moving to get off the bus before it takes off again.

“Ryan?” The Doctor calls for him as he’s about the step off. “Be careful.” He gives her a nod. 

“Do you think he’ll be alright?” Yaz asks. 

“I hope so. Graham, do you think you can find James Blake, the driver?”

“Yeah, I’ll just have a talk with the bloke at the front and find out where they all drink.” He responds. The Doctor gives an approving nod before turning to Yaz.

“Yaz, can you compile a timeline of what happens this time tomorrow evening?” 

“Okay. What are you going to do?” Yaz asks the Doctor.

“Talk to our friend. Tell him to stay out of history’s way.” She responds. 

“Uh, not to interrupt or anything, but what am I going to do?” You ask them. They all look at you for a moment before the Doctor speaks again.

“You, Y/N, are going to go back to the motel with Yaz and sleep. We don’t need a liability right now.” You were taken aback at the Doctor’s words, a sharp contrast to what she had told you before leaving the motel earlier. You saw her eyes widen in realization of what she just said. “Not that you’re a liability! That’s not what I--”

“It’s fine,” you said sharply, “I’ll go to the motel with Yaz so I don’t ruin everything. Got it.” You rose from your seat beside the Doctor to sit with Yaz, your head facing forward, not even looking at anyone else. You felt your eyes sting from tears, but you quickly blinked them away. You and Yaz stayed on the bus as long as you could so you could get as close as possible to the motel. You didn’t even glance at the Doctor as you exited the bus, just kept walking straight to the room. You flounced on one of the beds and curled into a ball.

“You know she didn’t mean what she said, yeah?” Yaz told you, sitting next to you. 

“Yeah, she did, but it’s fine. I’m used to it.” You replied, feeling Yaz move from the bed. You dozed in and out a little bit waiting for everyone to return. You heard the door open and close and the voices of your friends, yes, they’ve become your friends by now, drift over to you.

“Could someone wake Y/N up, please?” The Doctor said.

“I’m awake.” 

“Brilliant, we’ve loads of things to discuss before tomorrow.” She says, sonicking the weapon she’s brought with her. “Managed to get Krasko’s weapon off him.”

“James Blake is taking the day off.” Graham stated. 

“What? He can’t, he needs to be the driver.” You responded.

“That’s what I said. Strangely, he didn’t listen. Your mate is interfering. He’s reassigned his route to another driver called Elias Griffin Junior.”

“Tiny actions, that's what Krasko's doing. See, he's clever, I'll give him that. He knows. He's not planning on killing, or destroying or breaking history. He's planning to nudge it just enough so that it doesn't happen. Enough of a stick in the spokes to throw everything off the rails, and now I am really mixing my transport metaphors. Well, he didn't reckon with us keeping it in place.” The Doctor rambled. You listened intently, but were still extremely hurt by her words on the bus. Nevertheless, you had to make history right.

“And how do we do that?” Questioned Yaz.

“Now we know what our task is. Keep history in order. No changing it, just guarding it against someone who wants to disrupt it. Tomorrow, we have to make sure Rosa Parks gets on the bus driven by James Blake. And that the bus is full, so Rosa sits when she’s asked to stand for white passengers.” Replies the Doctor, who looks warily over at Ryan messing with the weapon. “Ryan, don’t mess with that.”

“How does it even work then?” He asks her. She gives a sigh before showing him.

“Charges here, this setting dials the temporal destination. Pretty simple, pretty deadly. Now, can we concentrate?” 

“How are we supposed to keep history in order if James Blake is to go fishing at Mill Creek and another driver is lined up to do his shift?” Inquires Graham.

“I’ve got an idea.” Ryan and Yaz say together, in perfect unison. 

“What’s your idea?” You ask.

“Raffle winner.” Yaz says.

“Fishing takedown.” Ryan says at the same time. They bicker a little about who’s idea is the best one when you speak up.

“Why not both?” You say, earning a look from the two. “You say that Elias Griffin wins a raffle and gets to go somewhere and then one of you tries to sabotage James Blake’s fishing day.” 

“I think that’s a brilliant plan, Y/N.” The Doctor tells you, giving you a small smile, obviously trying to make amends. However, you keep your face blank.

“Well, I’m dog tired. Why don’t we try and catch a few hours of sleep, yeah?” Graham says, feeling the little bit of tension between you two. 

“There are only two beds and we have five people. How is that gonna work?” Ryan asks, moving over to one of the beds to claim it. 

“I can sleep on the couch over here.” Offers Graham, already setting it up for the night. 

“You sure?” Asks Ryan.

“Yeah, I’ve fallen asleep on the couch loads at your nan’s when we’d watch her shows on the telly.” 

“Alright, so Ryan and Yaz take one bed and Y/N and I will take the other. Graham, you sure you’re alright on the couch?” The Doctor said. Graham didn’t answer and when you all looked over at him, he was already asleep. You were not thrilled about sharing a bed with the Doctor after what she said to you on the bus, but you were tired. You laid down on the bed, on top of the covers, and willed sleep to come quickly. The Doctor shut off the lights and crawled in next to you. Within a matter of minutes, the whole room was asleep, save for the two of you. 

“Y/N? Are you awake?” The Doctor whispered. You gave a sigh before responding.

“Yes, Doctor. I’m awake.” 

“I’m sorry I was harsh with you earlier, but you have to understand that I need to keep you all safe. Well, as safe as you can be traveling with me.” 

“I know.” You told her.

“I don’t want to lose any of you.” She whispered back. You felt your heart break a little at the tone she used when she said that. 

“I forgive you.” You said, giving her a small smile, although you don’t know if she could see it in the dark. You felt her move a hand to your cheek, lightly tracing your face. 

“Time for sleep.” She tells you. You give a hum in response and close your eyes, sleep overtaking your body.

**********

“Y/N.” Someone whispered in your ear. “Y/N.” The same voice said a little louder, trying to rouse you from your sleep, but you just hugged the pillow tighter. _Wait_ , you thought to yourself, _I don’t remember any spare pillows_ ... _that must mean--_

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry!” You exclaimed, quickly letting go of the Doctor, who, just moments ago, you thought was a pillow. She gave a laugh before springing up from the bed.

“Alright, who’s ready for Operation Rosa?” She said, gesturing with a big grin on her face. You all give a thumbs up before leaving the motel room. Ryan and Graham go off to Mill Creek and you join the Doctor and Yaz on the way to Elias Griffin Junior.

**********

Standing in front of a house, the Doctor knocks on the door with great confidence. It takes a few moments before the door opens to reveal a man. 

“Elias Griffin Junior?” The Doctor asks him.

“Yeah?” 

“Congratulations. You are the lucky winner in our raffle of the century.”

“I don’t recall entering no raffle.” He tells her, brows knitting in confusion.

“You have won an all expenses paid trip to Las Vegas, front row tickets to see Frank Sinatra and a VIP pass to meet Frank himself.” Elias’s jaw drops at the Doctor’s words. 

“My wife loves Sinatra!” 

“Amazing. Who would’ve guessed? Only one condition. You have to leave now.” 

“Right now.” Yaz chimes in.

“Oh. I can’t. My work shift starts in a couple hours.”

“We’ve sorted that out too. Your company’s already assigned someone to cover you.” You tell him.

“There’s a taxi coming to pick you up in thirty minutes to take you to the airport.” Informs the Doctor.

“Thirty minutes?” 

“Unless you don’t want to go?” You say, trailing off at the end.

“Oh, we’ll be ready. We’ll be ready.” Elias responds hurriedly, closing the door to pack. The Doctor turns to face you and Yaz, clasping her hands together.

“Good job Elvis lent Frank that mobile phone, against everything I told him. We need to stick tight to Rosa.” She says. Immediately after she finishes speaking, she grabs the tail of her coat and rips a seam. “This gives us an excuse!” With that you begin walking toward the department store where Rosa works. Arriving at the shop, you all head to the sewing room.

“Mrs. Parks? Enormous clothing emergency here. Could you help me?” The Doctor asks, showing the seam tear.

“That is one nasty tear.” Rosa responds.

“Yes, it is. And there is nothing us Brits hate more than a clothing emergency.” Yaz says to Rosa. You have to stifle a laugh at her comment.

“Mrs. Parks, I have to go out in that coat this evening. If it’s torn, I’ll get in such trouble.” 

“Can you take a look at it now? Double time Christmas bonus?” Yaz asks hopefully. Rosa checks her workbook before speaking again. 

“I don’t have any collections till tomorrow afternoon. I guess I could fit you in. Now, if you come back before we close…” She trails off before Yaz interrupts her.

“I’ll keep you company.”

“I don’t need company.” Rosa responds.

“No, but my coat does. It’s very valuable and I don’t usually let it out of my sight. Thank you. You’re going to make a big difference. Huge in fact.” Informs the Doctor. Rosa takes the coat and brings it to her work station.

“I’d best get to work then.” The Doctor pulls you and Yaz off to the side.

“Don’t let her out of your sight. I’m going to go meet Graham and Ryan. Remember, get Rosa out of here by 5:40 at the latest to be on that bus on time.” Then she turns to you. “Do you want to come with or do you want to stay with Yaz?” 

“I think I’ll stay.” You respond. The Doctor gives you a nod before setting off to find the boys. 

“Mrs. Parks, may I stay here too, ma’am?” You ask Rosa. She gives you an uneasy look. “I don’t know how to sew and I’d love to watch you work, if that’s alright.” You lie. Well, only the first part was a lie. Seeing your hopeful face, she agrees with a small smile as she begins work on the coat. Watching her assess the damage to the seam and begin to work, you give a smile to Yaz. Rosa’s hands work swiftly, but efficiently. She lines up the fabric and starts to weave the needle through the material. 

“What kind of stitch are you using?” You inquire. 

“Backstitch. Strongest seam out there.” Rosa tells you. You swear she’s magic. You don’t even notice the time. Rosa places the jacket on a mannequin to finish the seam and now it’s Yaz’s turn to ask questions.

“Have you always wanted to be a seamstress?” She asks the woman.

“I dreamed of being a teacher, but my grandmother got sick, then my mother. So, that was the end of school.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Oh, I got myself educated. Just took longer than I thought.” 

“But you kept going.” Yaz pushes. 

“Always. An education makes you unstoppable.” Rosa tells her.

“Everything here is a fight for you. Don’t you get tired? What keeps you going?”

“Promise of tomorrow. When today isn’t working, tomorrow is what you have. You married? Got a job back home?” Rosa asks Yaz. 

“Not married, and I’m a police officer.”

“You’re police?” 

“Yeah. Just starting. Not where I want to be.” Yaz states.

“Hmm. Where is it you want to be?”

“In charge.” Rosa gives a hearty laugh at Yaz’s words.

“Amen to that.” She says. Then, she turns to you. “What about you?”

“Me?” You ask, and she gives a nod. “I’m not married, but I’m a writer.” 

“A writer? You any good?” She asks.

“Some might say that, but I don’t think I’m very good.” 

“You just keep working at it. You’ll get there.” She says to you. Yaz looks at the clock and it reads 5:30, shooting you a worried glance.

“Shouldn’t you be finishing up?” She asks Rosa.

“If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well.”

“But don’t you have a bus to get?”

“I can always walk.” Rosa tells Yaz as she inspects the coat. It’s getting closer and closer to 5:40 and you’re starting to get worried that you won’t make it in time. “I think that should just about…” Rosa begins before Yaz takes the coat from her. 

“Love it. Let’s go. I’ll walk you out. Pay you on the way.”

“Oh.” Rosa responds as you both usher her out of the store. It’s 5:39. All three of you board and see the Doctor and Graham. 

“Yaz, you’re here. How’s it going?” The Doctor asks. 

“Mrs. Parks fixed your coat.” She responds. 

“Oh, thank you. Beautiful work. Much appreciated.”

“You’re welcome, ma’am.” Rosa tells her. You hear some distant shouting that sounds like Ryan. He boards at the front.

“Found you. I just got rid of Krasko.” He says, out of breath.

“How?” The Doctor asks. 

“I borrowed this,” he says as he shows her the displacement weapon, “I think I dialled the settings as far back as they would go. He’s gone.”

“Use the door for coloreds. Law’s the law.” The bus driver, James Blake, tells Ryan. He pays the fair then gets off and boards at the back. 

“Let’s move back.” The Doctor tells you all.

“Hey, Doc. Rosa’s on board, Blake’s driving. We’re good, right?” Graham asks the Doctor. She doesn’t respond.

“What’s the matter? What are you doing?” You ask her.

“Counting seats.”

“Has it worked? Have we done enough?” Yaz chimes in.

“I don’t know.”

“We get off at the next stop, right?” Inquires Graham, clearly wanting to get off that bus.

“Empire Theatre, yeah.” Yaz says. The bus stops and Graham moves to get off, but the Doctor catches the edge of his shirt.

“Don’t get off Graham. If we get off, there’s enough empty seats for white passengers. Rosa won’t be asked to move. We have to stay on.” She tells him. You are still beside her, realizing what has to happen, or, rather, not happen. You move to get up, but the Doctor keeps you firmly in place with her other hand. 

“But we’re here. Part of the story. Part of history.” Breathes Yaz. 

“No, no, no, no. I don’t want to be part of this.” Graham pleads with the Doctor, but she shakes her head. 

“We have to. I’m sorry. We have to not help her.” Graham sits back down, but you’re still trying to move. “Y/N. Stop. This has to happen.” The Doctor’s grip is tight as she pulls you into her, securing you from leaving.

“I don’t want to be a part of this, Doctor. I want to help.” You mumble. She gives you a tight squeeze in response. The bus driver, Blake, yells to the back.

“I’m going to need those seats back there. Y’all better make it light on yourselves and let me have those seats.” He commands. Two women move further back, and the man that was seated next to Rosa is quick to follow. Blake moves the a ‘White’ sign from the row in front. He stops in front of Rosa’s seat.

“Get up now.” 

“I don’t think I should have to.” She responds calmly. 

“Are you going to stand up?” Blake shouts.

“No.”

“If you don’t stand, I will have you arrested.” Blake threatens. Rosa takes it calmly and with an air of dignity.

“You may do that.” With those words, Blake leaves the bus to use the payphone outside. In a matter of minutes, Mrs. Rosa Parks is taken off the bus by two large policemen. You all watch through the window as she is escorted to the police car. She looks up and gives the gang a nod. When you and the fam return to the TARDIS, emotionally and physically spent, the Doctor explains what happens next. 

“On Monday, the boycotts begin. Across Montgomery, people refuse to use the buses as a response to Rosa's arrest. And in just over a year, on 21st December 1956, segregation on buses in Montgomery was ended.” She informs the gang.

“So it all worked out for her.” Ryan says. The Doctor shakes her head.

“No, life is still hard for Rosa. She loses her job, so does her husband. It’s a struggle, but they keep fighting. And in June 1999, Rosa receives the Congressional Medal from President Clinton, the highest award given to a civilian, recognizing her as a living icon for freedom.” You all watch a newsreel on one of the displays.

“It took so long, though. Her whole life.”

“Yes, it did. But she changed the world. In fact, she changed the universe. Look at this.” The Doctor says as she walks to the TARDIS doors. She opens them and you can see that you’re in an asteroid belt. “Asteroid 284996. Also known as Rosaparks.” You all look on in awe of the celestial bodies. The Doctor tugs on your shirt and you break from the group. She looks serious, but concerned. “I think we need to talk about some things.” 

A/N: Greetings, lovelies. This took a long time, but at least this episode is done! This chapter is a long one, so be ready. I hope you enjoy, please leave comments <3


	7. It All Comes Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having a talk with the Doctor, everything comes out, old habits resurface, and panic arises. Not to worry, though, the Doctor and her fam are with you every step of the way.

“O-okay.” You tell her, the anxiety growing. She leads you over to the steps off to the side and sits you down. You start to rub your hands over your legs nervously. “What do you want to talk about?” You ask.

“I think you know already.”

“Right,” you laugh nervously, “my illnesses.” 

“There’s more than the one?” The Doctor questions. _Shit_ , you think to yourself, _way to give yourself away_. You take a deep breath before speaking again.

“Yes… there’s more than one. There’s a few actually.” Unnoticed by you and the Doctor, the rest of the gang had joined you on the steps. You only realized they were there when Yaz spoke.

“There’s more than one?” She asks. You give a nod in response. 

“Yeah, I… ugh, I don’t even know how to begin.”

“Just start with the one we already know and build from there, kiddo.” Graham says, giving you a reassuring shoulder squeeze. 

“Okay. Well, you already know about the fainting disorder. Well, there’s two actually, they kind of feed off each other, if that makes sense.” Your hands have hardened into fists now, nails pressing into your palm. An anxious habit of yours. “I, uh, have chronic pain, migraines, and a few mental illnesses. I am prone to panic attacks and depressive episodes.” Shaking at this point, you try to will the forming tears away. Everyone is silent and you know you shouldn’t have even said anything. You always have to ruin the good things. You--

“Alright, let’s not do that, yeah?” The Doctor interrupts your spiralling mind and pries your curled hands open and laces your fingers with hers. 

“I’m sorry that I ruin everything. Just please don’t take me home. Feel free to drop me on some god-forsaken planet somewhere, but please, _please_ , don’t take me home. I know that I’m a lot with all of my illnesses, but I am _begging_ you--” You dissolve into sobs, your breathing erratic and sharp. Of course your body had to decide to bestow a panic attack upon you at this very moment. Unknowingly, your hands started to curl in on themselves again. 

“Shhh, it’s alright. We’re not going to leave you, right gang?” You hear the Doctor say.

“Right.” Ryan says.

“‘Course we’re not leavin’ ya.” Chimes Yaz.

“It’s going to take more than that to get rid of us, love.” Graham tells you.

“See? It’s alright.” The Doctor says, but your hearing is going in and out as the panic grows. You really don’t want to be sent home, and now that you’ve told them everything, you’re going to be dropped back home and be alone again and-- “Y/N, can you hear me?”

“Please…” You whimper. You felt a light kiss on your head before the gang left to go elsewhere, most likely at the Doctor’s behest. Deft fingers pry your hands open and wrap them around the Doctor’s arm while her other hand pressed your head into the crook of her neck. The scent of vanilla invades your focus as you take a breath in. 

“Just like that, Y/N. Breath in again.” She says, moving the hair out of your face. You concentrate on breathing, the vanilla scent that surrounds you, and her two, two?, heartbeats. The Doctor runs her fingers through your hair softly and draws you in closer as she hears your breathing pick up again. “I’m here,” she whispers in your ear, “We’re not going anywhere. I’m not going anywhere.” Your breathing calms down a bit and you give her arm a light squeeze in thanks.

“‘M sorry…” You mumble into her jacket. 

“Shush.” She soothes. Your eyelids begin to droop, but you desperately try to fight the tiredness and fatigue that consume you. Of course this doesn’t go unnoticed by the Doctor. “Sleep.” She says.

“But--”

  
“Sleep.” The Doctor commands, pressing two fingers softly against your temple and sleep consumes you immediately. You let darkness overtake your body knowing that you are safe, you are loved, and you are most definitely _not_ going back home.

A/N: Very short chapter, but I wanted to write something this week. This chapter is also a bit personal, well, in all honesty, this entire fic is personal, but I digress. I've officially been in a chronic flare for a month, so yay me. Anyway, I knew if I didn't post at least one chapter this week that I wouldn't forgive myself. As always, comments are appreciated <3


	8. Tea at Yaz's (Arachnids in the UK Pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor finally lands in Sheffield, returning the fam home, as promised. What could have been a sad parting turned into an invite for tea. Very unsuspecting event, tea is. Or is it?

Stretching out under the covers, you...wait...covers?  _ Since when did I get into a bed,  _ you wondered. Opening your eyes and looking about, you realized that you were in a bedroom. Looking above you, you see a canopy over the bed that looked as though it was a window into space. You could see various planets, asteroids, and even a few shooting stars in the fabric. Standing slowly, so as to not get too dizzy, you look around the room. To your left was a bay window with sunlight filtering in, and to the right of the window was an armchair. 

“Odd,” you mumbled to yourself, “I don’t remember the TARDIS having windows.” Against the back wall was a bookcase and a door that looked like it led to a bathroom, and to the right you saw another door that must be the entrance to the room. Hearing voices from outside, you made your way over to the door and stepped out into the hallway, finding it to be right next to the console room. The fact that you were still in the TARDIS and not dropped back at home gave you such a feeling of relief. 

“Should we wait for Y/N to wake up, Doc?” You heard Graham ask.

“No need to wait.” You spoke, leaning against the doorway. 

“Ah, Y/N, there you are!” The Doctor exclaimed. Walking further into the room, and closer to your new family, you start to feel embarrassed. 

“Here I am.” You said with a nervous laugh. “I’m sorry about all that from before… I don’t usually get like that…” 

“Nonsense! It’s fine. Right, fam?” 

“‘Course.” They said in unison. 

“Right, now to drop you all home.” The Doctor said as she turned around to mess with the console. You stilled at her words. 

“But I thought you said… I thought you said I could travel with you?” You questioned, feeling the panic rise again. A hand squeezed yours and you turned to see Yaz beside you. 

“Y/N, what the Doctor meant was that she’s taking  _ us  _ home. To Sheffield.” She said with a reassuring smile. 

“Oh.” 

“Right, off we go.” The Doctor tells you all from behind the console. The TARDIS shudders and you all hang onto the console for dear life as the ship shakes about. “Nearly there!”

“Are you sure you’ve got this under control?” Graham asks her.

“Totally. New systems. Just running them in.” She responds. With a small thump, the TARDIS materializes. Yaz, Ryan, and Graham rush to the door to open it and step outside.

“We’re home. We’re actually home!” Yaz exclaims excitedly. 

“Yes. Result. See? I told you I’d do it.” The Doctor says proudly.

“We’re at Park Hill.” Ryan says.

“That’s my flat there.” Says Yaz, who points at one of the apartments in the building.

“Wait, you live at Park Hill? We’re just up there.” Ryan responds, pointing to a spot just beyond the apartments. 

“And I’ve got mobile signal again. But no messages.”

“But to be fair, it’s only been half an hour since you left.” The Doctor pipes up. 

“What, half an hour since we were with you in that warehouse?” Graham asks. The Doctor gives a nod in response.

“Wow.”

“So… I suppose this is it.” The Doctor tells them. You see a sad look begin to form on her face, but she quickly hides it. You stand beside her and give her hand a light squeeze before dropping your hand again.

“Yeah, I suppose it is.” Ryan mumbles. 

“Got you back. Guess we’re done.” She says. You clear your throat trying to get the Doctor’s attention. “Except you, of course, Y/N,” She tells you, “Nice having you all aboard.”

“Thanks, Doc. It’s been a blast. Truly.” Graham tells her sincerely. 

“Pleasure.”

“What’re you going to do now?” Inquires Yaz. 

“Oh, you know. Back in the box. There’s loads to see.” 

“By yourself?” 

“Yeah, I suppose. I mean--No, not when I have this one here.” The Doctor gestures to you. “But it will be without you lot.” She says, a bit disappointed. You see Yaz think for a moment before speaking again.

“Want to come for tea at mine?” This causes the Doctor to perk up.

“Definitely! Yes, I would. Thanks. I love tea. Tea at Yaz’s? Amazing.” She rambles ecstatically. Then she turns to you to ask, “Are you coming? Are we all going for tea at Yaz’s?” She asks the boys. 

“She didn’t invite us.” Ryan says.

“I wasn’t invited, but you can go ahead.” You say with a small smile. 

“Don’t be daft,” Yaz laughs, “‘course you’re invited.” This instantly brightens your smile.  


“Alright then.” Ryan says with a grin.

“Graham?”

“I think I’ll pop home first, Yaz. Maybe join you later, if that’s alright?” Graham tells her. Ryan offers to go with, but Graham just shakes his head. “I’d rather do it alone.” He tells his grandson, then looks pointedly at the Doctor and says, “Don’t go without saying goodbye.” The Doctor is still very excited as she grabs your hand in a tight hold. 

“Tea at Yaz’s. I’ve never been for tea at Yaz’s.” She says softly as you all head for the apartment building.

A/N: Greetings all, sorry for the short chapter and long-ish absence. I hope you're doing well and staying safe! I hope you enjoy this chapter, please feel free to comment <3


	9. Author's Note (Not a Chapter)

Greetings all, I hope you are doing well. I apologize that this is not a chapter, but I have not been feeling well, so unfortunately there will not be a chapter up this week, or if there will, it will be extremely short. I will be back next week, I promise. I hope you understand <3


	10. Terrible Pakora (Pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting Yaz's family, well, most of them, was definitely an experience. Although, usually when you introduce your friends to your family, you don't rush out and leave them. What could be going on?

Walking with the fam up the stairs was a feat because boy, did you ever hate stairs. Finally reaching the landing on the floor where Yaz’s flat was, your attention is drawn to a woman knocking frantically at one of the doors. 

“Anna!” The woman yells. 

“Everything alright?” The Doctor asks as she walks up to the woman. 

“Fine, thanks,” she responds, holding her cellphone up to her ear, “Anna, it’s Jade McIntyre, I’m outside your front door. Are you in?” The Doctor gave her one last look before Yaz ushered you all into her flat. 

“I’m home! Got a couple of mates with me.” Yaz announced, then turned to the group. “They’re probably all out.” A man, who you assume is her father, comes to meet you in the entryway.

“You’ve brought friends back,” he says, before turning to a younger girl in the kitchen, “Sonya? Yaz has brought friends back. I’m getting food.”

“What, you actually have friends? She paying you?” The girl, Sonya, asks with a laugh. Yaz gives her a playful slap on the arm before you all walk further into the apartment. The Doctor is giddy and bustles about the room excitedly. 

“Look at your views,” she whispers, “never had a flat. I should get one, I’d be good in a flat. I could get a sofa. Imagine me with a sofa, like my own sofa. I could get a purple one and sit on it.” She rambles before turning around quickly to face the fam. “Am I being weird?”

“A little bit, yeah.” Ryan answers. The Doctor frowns a little before speaking again.

“I’m trying to do small talk. I thought I was doing quite well.” 

“Needs a little work.” You told her with a smile, reassuring her.

“Maybe I’m nervous. Or just socially awkward. I’m still figuring myself out.” She mumbles as she walks more about the flat, stopping in front of a pile of… well… junk. “You really like junk. Are you collecting it, like stamps?” Yaz’s father flits over excitedly.

“Let me tell you about this mess.” He says. Sonya just scoffs a little as she taps away on her phone, her gaze barely leaving the device.

“Oh, don’t get him started.” She says.

“Dad, we keep telling you. Stop picking it up. Mum’s going to go crazy when she sees this. It stinks.” Yaz told her father. She was right, it did stink. Badly.

“I can’t just leave it there.” He replies defensively. 

“Why do we have to have it?” 

“Well, I thought since your sister is a policewoman…”

“Police officer.” Interrupts Yaz, giving a pointed look to her dad.

“And she said she’d do something about it.” You spaced out from the conversation and walked over to the window to take in the view from the flat. Your attention was brought back, however, when the Doctor and Sonya spoke in unison,

“A conspiracy.”

“Huh?” You asked, finally tuning back into the conversation. 

“I love a conspiracy.” The Doctor said excitedly. You chuckled a little bit at her tone before turning back to the window and getting lost in your head again. Your head whipped up when the front door closed, finally noticing that there was one less person in the room. 

“Where’s Yaz?” 

“She went to bring her mum something.” Yaz’s dad told you. 

“Oh, you’ve got a parcel to pick up, left with a neighbour.” The Doctor states.

“Yeah, I’ve been trying to get that for days. Couple doors down. No reply.”

“Do you want me to go get it while you make your terrible pakora?” Questioned the Doctor. Yaz’s dad gave a shrug that said ‘go for it’ and the Doctor grabbed your hand, as well as Ryan’s, and set out to grab the parcel from said neighbour.

A/N: I am so sorry about the short chapter and the long wait, I have really been, as the kids say, 'going through it.' I hope that this chapter isn't complete shite, and that you enjoy it, at least. As always, comments are appreciated <3


	11. Fuckin' Spiders (Pt. 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to collect the parcel from next door doesn't go as planned. There are massive spiders, and a woman wrapped up in web. I suppose that could be counted as a parcel, just not the one we were hoping for.

“No word from Graham?” The Doctor asked Ryan. 

“You think I should’ve gone with him?” Ryan asked. The Doctor just shrugged before responding. 

“You know him better than me.”

“Not much.” He replied. You two reached the door to the neighbour’s apartment to see the woman from before standing by the door. 

“Still no answer?” the Doctor asked, “we’ve got a package to pick up for number 34. Think she took it in. You a friend?”

“We work together at the uni. She hasn’t been in for days. Didn’t call in sick and isn’t answering her messages. Thought I’d drop by to see if she’s okay. I’m Jade.” The woman, Jade, said.

“I’m Ryan. That’s the Doctor, and this is Y/N.” Ryan told her. You peeked out from behind him to give a little wave. The Doctor opened the letterbox to try to get the tenant’s attention, but no luck. 

“Could we just open the door?” You asked the group. Jade gave you an incredulous look.

“What, like, break in?” 

“Or I could sort the lock,” the Doctor piped up, “if you thought it was appropriate. If you’re worried about her.” Jade gave a nod and the Doctor retrieved her sonic from the pack fastened about her waist and you heard a click. She opened the door and you all filed in. What caught the attention of you all was the massive amount of cobwebs. 

You didn’t really pay attention to their conversation, as you were entranced, and a bit disgusted, by the webs. You turned quickly at the sound of your name being called, earning you a faceful of cobweb. 

“Jesus Christ, that’s disgusting! Get it off!” You exclaimed, pulling the webbing off your body with a horrified face. Ryan came over and helped you remove all the webbing. “Are you trying to hold in a laugh?” 

“No. ‘Course not.” He replied, obviously stifling a chuckle. 

“Liar.” You mumbled as you playfully bumped his shoulder with yours. You, Jade, Ryan, and the Doctor headed downstairs to the bedroom of the flat. The Doctor hesitantly opened the door and you all walked into the room.

“Anna?” The Doctor called out. 

“Is she in here?” Ryan questioned from the doorway. He walked farther into the dark room to open the curtains, letting light in. It was at that moment you saw a figure lying in the bed, absolutely covered in web. 

“Oh, my days!” Ryan was the first to shout.

“Oh, what the fuck?” You said, grabbing onto the Doctor’s arm, partially burying your face in her shoulder. 

“I’m sorry.” The Doctor told Jade.

“Spiders don’t do that. Do they?” Ryan questioned quietly. 

“Wrong question, Ryan. You should be asking where’s the spider that did this?” She answered. You immediately pulled closer to her. “You alright?” 

“Hate. Spiders.” You replied. She covered your hands in hers and pried you off her arm, giving you a reassuring smile, so she could have a better look around the room. 

“You think it’s still in here?” Ryan’s voice whispered. The Doctor walked over to the wardrobe.

“Maybe. Three, two…” She said, pulling the handles on the doors. Nothing. Ryan goes to look under the bed and must have seen something move. 

“Look at the size of it!” He yells. You whip around and see what he’s talking about; a giant spider. You freeze in fear. When you said you didn’t like spiders, you were telling the truth. When they were in your house, you wouldn’t kill them, but rather take them outside. This, however, was completely different. You. Were. Terrified. 

“No sudden moves.” The Doctor said.

“It’s domestic, but it’s way too big. It’s not harmful.” Jade said from behind you all. You had forgotten she was even there until just now. 

“It suffocated your mate.” Ryan said pointedly. 

“Let’s put a door between us. When I say now, quick as you can, go. Go, go, go… go!” She yelled. You barely heard everyone scramble out of the room, you were frozen to the spot. Suddenly, an arm circled around your waist and pulled you out into the hallway harshly, and the door shut in front of you, Ryan standing between you. The arm was still firmly around your waist, your back flush against someone’s chest. It was only when they spoke, and you felt their breath move the hair over your ear. The Doctor. “Ryan, keep it in there. Back in a sec.” She said.

“Alright. We’re out, it’s contained…” You heard Ryan begin before the Doctor took you with her to the kitchen. She let go of you to grab a couple things before grabbing your hand and pulling you back to the two others. “Doctor, it’s coming through!” Ryan shouted as you came back. 

“Could we shoo it out through the rubbish chute somehow?” Jade asked.

“And set it loose across the city? No, we need to keep it isolated here. Ryan, get up here!” The Doctor spoke. She then squirted puree, which smelled strongly of garlic, and vinegar at the top of the stairs. 

“Oi, you just covered me in vinegar.” Grumbled Ryan.

“Spider’s feet are their noses and they hate the smell of garlic. And the acetic acid in vinegar means it won’t come any further.” The sounds of breaking wood filled the flat. 

“Where is it?” Ryan questioned loudly. Answering his question, the spider dropped down from the ceiling by a silk string of web, but soon recoiled from the stench of the puree and vinegar. The Doctor let go of your hand and splayed out her arms in a non-threatening manner. 

“Hi. We don’t mean you any harm. You’re not supposed to be this big and you’re definitely not supposed to attack humans. You stay here, until I figure this out. Deal?” She says, and then turns to the rest of you. “Let’s go.” You all back out the door, back onto the deck outside the flats. 

“Oh, I did not like that.” Ryan sighed. 

“Yeah, it’s a no from me.” You concurred. The Doctor whirls around to face Jade. 

“Jade McIntyre, who are you exactly? I saw you check those cobwebs and you weren’t surprised.” Jade is about to answer before Graham comes running up to you. 

“Hey! You’ll never guess what I found in the loft room.” He says, a bit out of breath. 

“It better not be a massive spider.” Ryan says, exasperated. Graham tilted his head.

“Yeah. Like a big spider had just shed its skin. How’d you know?” 

“A woman has just died, and I think you know more than you’re telling.” The Doctor states to Jade. 

“This isn’t the first incident. Something’s happening with the spiders in the city. They’re out of control.”

A/N: Greetings! I have promised a longer chapter, and here it is. I hope you enjoy, comments are always welcome <3


	12. Author's Note (Not a Chapter)

Please, please forgive me for not posting in a bit, and not posting a chapter today. I have been feeling absolutely horrendous and my chronic illnesses/pain are deciding to flare up. Usually, I would push through it, but it is so bad right now that I can't even focus on little tasks. I am still continuing with this story, it's just going to take me a little bit. I am writing when I feel able to do so, so don't worry that I am discontinuing this. I really, and truly, hope that you understand and can forgive me. Much love, cheers <3


	13. Spiders, Screams, and Guns... Oh My! (Pt. 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking a look around the lab at the university, the Doctor thinks she might have found the epicenter of the problem, so naturally, you all follow her guidance. Cue more spiders and a mystery man.

You and the rest of the group followed Jade, at her behest, to the university where she and Anna worked. 

“The place where Anna worked with me is just over the way. I’m a research fellow in zoology, specialising in arachnids and arthropods, but spiders are our main focus, and we’re seeing something very wrong in their behavior right now.” Jade explained. You heard Ryan and Graham talk a bit, but you didn’t really pay too much attention, assuming it was a private conversation. Following Jade into the university, where she donned a white lab coat, you were ushered into a lab. 

“We reckon there could be around 21 quadrillion spiders on the planet in total.” Jane spoke. 

“Lovely.” You mumbled, and she gave you a look.

“What sort of research are you doing here?” The Doctor asked Jade.

“We’re interested in utilizing the genetic strength of arachnids. Ordinary spider silk is extremely strong, like steel or Kevlar.” She responded.

“That sounds like some Spiderman shit to me.” 

“Y/N!” The Doctor scolded you. 

“Sorry, it’s just how did your experiments, or whatever they are, get loose? You don’t have some controlled environment for them? Seems a bit reckless to me.”

“They’re harmless, it’s hardly reckless.” Jade spat. “Anyway, I’ve been working on an enzyme to increase the lifespan. Spiders keep growing for as long as they live.”

“That spider in Anna’s flat was way bigger than a household spider.” Ryan chimed in. Jade only nodded.

“Did Anna have access to your experiments?” The Doctor asked her. 

“No, she was on the admin team. Everything we do here is secure. We discard all carcasses responsibly through a special company. Unless she was taking things without us knowing… but she’s not that kind of person. I should probably notify the police.”

“What did you want to show us?” You inquired, looking at the odd bits and bobs in the lab. 

“Reports of unusual spider activity all over Sheffield in the past three months. From the police, pest control, and to us here.” Jade gestured to the large map of Sheffield with various pins on it. “Rare sightings, an increase in numbers, spiders you normally don’t see this time of year.”

“Something is wrong with the spider ecosystem in South Yorkshire.” The Doctor sighed, trying to make sense of what was going on. 

“Exactly. But we don’t know what. They have nothing in common. Different species, different quantities, some are large massings, some have been a profusion of web-building. I can’t work out if they’re confused, angry, or scared.” Jade explained.

“Or maybe they’re all of the above?” You added. 

“Or trying to send a message.” Muttered the Doctor. She connected all the dots on the board, making a messy web-looking drawing, and pointed at the middle of it. “Where’s that?” 

“That’s the new hotel.” Answered Jade. 

“Then that is where we’re going.” 

“I really hate spiders…” You grumbled, following Ryan, Jade, Graham, and the Doctor to the hotel. Once you arrived at the hotel, the Doctor took the opportunity to phone someone.

“Are you at the hotel where your mum works?” The Doctor spoke.  _ Ah _ , you thought _ , must be Yaz _ . “Can you let us in?” A few moments later, Yaz opened the side door and you followed her to the reception desk where a woman, most likely her mother, was waiting. The Doctor rushed up and gave her a hug. “Hi, Yaz’s mum.”

Najia. Yaz, they can’t be her.” She told her daughter. 

“Najia, you made a very awesome human. Tell me what’s going on.” However, before Najia could answer, the sound of screaming and a couple gunshots filled your ears. 

“Were those gunshots?” You inquired. Of course, in true Doctor fashion, the Doctor rushed to where they were coming from. Once you all got to the floor where the noise was coming from, a man ran into the corridor. Graham’s jaw dropped.

“You are joking.”

“No way.” Ryan said in awe. The Doctor flashed a piece of paper before speaking to him.

“Crisis investigators. You just ran really quickly out of a room looking scared. Tell me exactly what’s going on, sparing no detail, no matter how strange.”

“A giant spider just smashed through my bathtub and took out my bodyguard, Kevin.” The man answered her, obviously still in shock. 

“Right, very succinct summary. Well done. You just wait here with my… people.” She said. “A spider smashed through a bath. Right…” She trailed off. Yaz and the Doctor go into the hotel room, leaving you all with the mystery man. 

“You’re that bloke.” Graham says. 

“What bloke?” You ask him, but he just shakes his head at you. A couple moments later, the Doctor and Yaz come out of the room… alone. “I thought you went to get Kevin?” Yaz just shakes her head.

“We need to move out of this area quickly, it’s too dark and quiet; spiders love that. We need to move somewhere bright and busy.”

“No, no, no, no, no. We need to get as far away from here as possible.” The man beside you states.

“I’m with the mystery man over here.” You say, and Ryan hums in agreement. 

“I know a way out.” Najia mentions, and you follow her down the corridor. Before you could catch up, however, the man grabs your arm in a tight grip. 

“Wait! Who are you people?” He questions. You quickly turn around and glare at him.

“Listen, two things you should know: do not touch me and always follow the Doctor. You can ask questions later.” You growl, shaking free of his grip to follow your friends.

A/N: After a while of not writing due to health reasons, I felt guilty at not giving you something to read. So, here is the newest installment of the story, I hope you enjoy. Please feel free to leave comments, I always appreciate them <3


	14. Web of Pain (Pt. 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More webs start appearing, successfully trapping Team TARDIS and co. inside the hotel. All this running around really takes a toll

You and the gang had circled back to the main floor, only to find the entrance absolutely covered with cobwebs.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose.

“That’s bad.” Ryan spoke. 

“We just came in that way… how have they done so many webs so fast?” Questioned Yaz, her voice wavering a bit with nervousness. 

“Nevermind that, how do we get through them?” Graham asked, looking at the Doctor. She whips out her sonic and scans the webbing. The mystery man takes the opportunity to speak.

“No, this can’t be happening. This is a protest. One of those eco-protests, huh? This isn’t spiders, spiders can’t do that.”

“These spiders can. Those aren’t normal cobwebs. They know we’re here and they’re trying to seal us in.” The Doctor informed. 

“They’re trying to make the whole hotel their web.” Jane theorized. 

“Oh joy…” You grumbled. You really did not enjoy being trapped with a bunch of overgrown spiders. The Doctor gave you a sympathetic look before speaking to the group again.

“And we’re the flies. We are not leaving. We have to find out why they’re here and to stop them from going further. We need to find a safe haven. Yaz’s mum?” 

“Kitchen?”

“Lead on.” The Doctor responded. You gave a groan and she grabbed your hand to drag you along to the kitchen. The stark contrast of light from the main level to the kitchen made you squint until your eyes adjusted. The Doctor, however, was pleased. “Ah, good. This’ll do. Okay, thinking. Need to be quick, spiders are moving fast. Why is this the epicenter of spider activity?”

“Wait, spiders? Plural?” Mystery man asked.

“Very plural. Sorry, I don’t know who you are.” The Doctor stated.

“I don’t know who you are either.” You agreed.

“Oh, really? Cos you must be the only two people who don’t.”

“Are you Ed Sheeran?” The Doctor asked, and turned around to the fam. “Is he Ed Sheeran? Everyone talks about Ed Sheeran right about now, don’t they?”

“Doc, I don’t know who he is either, but I am absolutely sure he is  _ not  _ Ed Sheeran.” You laughed. She looked at you and scrunched her nose at your laugh. All in good fun, though.

“I am not Ed Sheeran. I am Jack Robertson, and this is my hotel. Just one hotel in a series of successful ones. Just a small part of my business portfolio, as featured in Fortune Global 500. Does that ring a bell?” 

“Not in the slightest.” You say.

“Should I look impressed right now? Is that impressive?” The Doctor asked. Leaning against the metal counter in the kitchen, you listened to the rest of the conversation. Well, half listened. Boy, did your joints hurt, but you were trying to ignore it.

“I am not a politician. I’m a businessman and I know how to run things.” You heard Robertson speak when your focus went back to the conversations at hand.

“I’ve heard you’re only running because you’ve hated Trump for decades.” Jade inquired. 

“Wait, wait. What? Running for what? Sorry, I wasn’t really paying attention.” 

“Typical of your generation. You millennials…” Robertson practically spat at you.

“Excuse me? Sorry I’m not entirely paying attention, I am more focused on the fact that I’m in a lot of pain and you being an insufferable asshole doesn’t help matters.” You spat back, effectively stunning the businessman for a moment. Well, stunning everyone is more like it. “Sorry… is there a chair around here somewhere?” You grimaced. You heard a scrape behind you and a metal chair was placed by Najia.

“Here you are.” She said with a small smile. You thankfully took a seat.

“I’m sorry..” You mumbled. 

“It’s alright, right?” The Doctor said as she stood beside you. 

A/N: Sorry about the long wait and short chapter, I have not been doing well lately, but I always feel guilty when I don't update. Enjoy, lovelies <3 Feel free to leave comments


	15. This Man Never Stops Talking (Pt. 6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team TARDIS and company try to figure out what's happening and what you can do to remedy the situation. This would all be well and good except for the fact that Mr. Business Man never. Stops. Talking.

Robertson diverted his attention to Najia, pointing a finger at her. 

“Look I was just attacked by a spider the size of a bathtub, and it’s all her fault.” 

“I told you, I know nothing about this.” Najia scoffed at him. This businessman was really getting on your nerves with his pompous attitude. Yaz took the opportunity to chime in before anyone could say anything else.

“Mum, don’t even talk to him. He fired you.”

“What? He didn’t. You didn’t. You can’t be president if you fire Yaz’s mum.” The Doctor spoke incredulously. 

“Najia.” Yaz’s mother said. 

“I hate spiders. Phobia hate.” Robertson tried to defend himself.

“So do I, but you don’t see me firing people over my fears.” You said. 

“I mean, you’re running for president, could be espionage. You know, target directly.” Graham theorized.

“At you by Russians.” Ryan agreed with his grandfather. This earned them a small laugh from you.

“That’s possible,” said Robertson, “there’s a lot of people who’d like to see me dead.”

“Funny, that.” Said Najia.

“Wonder why that would be.” You mused.

“See?” Spoke Robertson, whining like a petulant child trying to get his way.

“They don’t need giant spiders to do that. They’d just pop a tiny poisonous one on your pillow.” Jade explains. You take the opportunity to add to the conversation as well.

“Or, if someone was smart, they could take the venom of an armed spider, since it’s water soluble, and place it in your drink. You’d die within 24 hours.” Everyone looked at you with a bewildered gaze. “What? I watch a lot of crime shows and like to debunk methods of killing someone. Is that really so weird?”

“Very,” Ryan told you, “remind me never to make you angry.” 

“Right. So, what do we do?” Yaz turned toward the Doctor.

“Why are you asking her?” Robertson inquired.

“Cause she’s in charge, bro.” Ryan answered him.

“Says who?”

“Says us.” You, Yaz, Ryan, and Graham said in unison.

“How do you all know each other?” Najia asked the group.

“Mum, can you shut up a second?”

“Right,” the Doctor starts, “we need two things: plans of the hotel, and a captive spider.”

“I’m not getting anywhere near the spider.” 

“Neither am I.” You agree with Robertson. You stand and turn to Ryan and Graham. “Ryan, Graham… we’re friends, right?” You ask them sweetly.

“Yeah?” 

“Course, what of it?” Graham questions, suspicion lacing his words. You put your arms around them before speaking again.

“Well, since we’re all friends… could I ask you a friendly favor?”

“I don’t like where this is headed.” Ryan mumbles. 

“I think that you two would be excellent at trapping a spider, don’t you Doctor?” The Doctor is chatting with Najia and Yaz, so she’s not entirely paying attention, but she gives a small nod. The two boys both slump their shoulders.

“This is really gonna suck, isn’t it…” 

“Probably.” You say with a grin, going back to sit in the chair. Ryan and Graham some supplies before heading off down the corridor. “Love you!” You yell at them, giggling to yourself.

“Yeah, yeah!” Ryan yells back. 

“I said… I LOVE YOU!” 

“We love you too!” They shout. “Even if you coerced us into sacrificing ourselves to the spiders…” 

“I heard that!” 

“Where can we find the plans for the hotel?” You hear Yaz ask her mother when you tune back in to the conversation. 

“Follow me.” She responds and she takes you all to a small room with a desk. Must be the hotel manager's office. She sits behind the desk and opens a drawer, pulling out a large map of the place.

“Ah, hotel plans. Let’s see.” The Doctor says, smoothing out the paper. Robertson, of course, decides to speak, always wanting to get a word in.

“That can’t be accurate. It doesn’t even have my panic room marked on it.”

“Any issues with spiders lately before today Najia? Here or at home?” The Doctor asks Yaz’s mum, ignoring the businessman. Najia looks very confused.

“My home?” 

“One of your neighbors had a spider infestation. The link between both places is you.”

“I knew it!” Boasts Robertson. “And I’m going to litigate you until your last breath, Nadia.” 

“Do you ever shut the hell up?” You snap at him. 

“It’s Najia, and I’ve done nothing.” The Doctor scrunches up her face.

“Are you sure?” She asks. 

“Sorry, but who are you? How’d you know my daughter? Why have I never met you before?” Najia rapid-fire questions. Yaz rolls her eyes.

“Oh, not now.” She huffs. 

“Yes, now. It’s not a difficult question.”

“It is a bit of a long answer.” The Doctor replies. 

“Well, I’ve got time.”

“But I haven’t. Not right now.” 

“Are you two seeing each other?” Najia inquires. This makes the Doctor stand up straight with a confused look on her face.

“I don’t think so. Are we?” She turns to ask Yaz. Your heart sinks, but you’re trying not to let it show on your face. 

“We’re  _ friends _ .” Yaz specifies, glancing at you with a pointed look. The Doctor just gives a nod and continues pouring over the map. “I owe the Doctor my life, quite a few times over.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Asks Yaz’s mum. 

“Please, can we not have this conversation now? And not in front of him.”

“Oh, I’m enjoying this.” Robertson says with a smirk.

“No one asked you.” You mumble under your breath, causing the Doctor to look at you with an unreadable expression on her face. However, it’s gone moments later.

“How long did it take you to build this hotel?” She asks him.

“Five years. We have fifteen of these hotels all around the world now. Repurposing former industrial sites into luxury leisure venues.” He replies proudly. 

“Repurposing? What was the site before?”

“I don’t have… clarity on that.”

“I do.” Najia pipes up. “Coal mines. This was mining land.” The Doctor, seeming like she has everything she needs from looking over the hotel plans, whips around and walks out the door, you all and Najia quickly follow suit. You and the group make it to a service corridor before Najia speaks again. “We’ve just passed the entrance to the back of the spa. We should be here now.”

“You’re not going down there. It’s too dangerous.” Spoke Robertson. 

“I eat danger for breakfast.” The Doctor says proudly, before deflating again.” I don’t, I actually prefer cereal. Or croissants. Or those little fried Portuguese… nevermind, it’s not important.” You all finally reach the door that the Doctor was looking for.

“Ha! See? Look at this. Keep out. Danger of death. You are not authorised to go in here.”

“Dude, I’ve all the authorization I ever need.” The Doctor tells him, frying the keypad on the door with her sonic. “I call people dude now.” She says with a smile. This causes you to laugh a little bit.

“Yes, and please never do it again.” You say, and she scrunches up her nose in response. 

“Doctor, I need to speak to you.” Jade says, running up to the group from down the hall. 

“We need to do it as we talk. There’s something behind this door that people want to keep locked away.” 

“Oh, sure. It’s a party. Everyone can come.” Robertson grumbles sarcastically. 

“Thanks. Doctor, I’ve seen these spiders before.” Jade explains. Robertson narrows his eyes at Najia and speaks again. 

“But you.”

“You’re not the boss of me anymore.” Najia states and Robertson is taken aback. She takes this opportunity to duck under his arm to follow the Doctor. You start to follow as well, walking in front of the man. You turn to walk backwards to speak to him.

“I hope a spider eats you.” You say before turning back around to catch up.

A/N: I promise I haven't given up on the story! There's just been a lot of things that have been happening that I have to deal with. Here is another chapter for you all, I hope you enjoy. Please, as always, feel free to leave a comment or two <3


	16. Fiesty Fighting (Pt. 7)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group finally figures out, at least partially, why the spiders are there. Of course, of no help of one Jack Robertson. You may have also gotten into a little row with him as well. Oops.

Yaz makes quick work of getting the lights strung on the side of the tunnel working.

“Nice work, Yaz.” The Doctor praises.

“No, not nice work,” Robertson speaks, “none of you are allowed down here.” The Doctor, of course, ignores him and asks,

“Are all your hotels built on repurposed sites?”

“Well, that’s the business. I mean, every city in the world, big or small, has an area they want repurposed. Maybe it’s not too pretty, maybe it’s never been used, maybe it’s an industry that died. We go in and we help them figure it out. We get a good deal, but we give them world-class facilities. It’s a win for everybody.”

“Wow, that’s the first nice thing I think I’ve heard you say today…” You mumble. 

“A network of mining tunnels could explain how the bigger spiders are moving. The question is, does that make your hotel their target or their base?” The Doctor inquires. A smell starts to permeate the air, and it is definitely not a pleasant smell. 

“What is that smell?” Najia asks. You and the rest of the group walk further into the tunnel, seeing that it opens to a cavern that is, you guessed it, covered in cobwebs. Webbed objects hang from the ceiling. Yaz is the first to speak.

“What are they?”

“Oh, my God!” Najia exclaims. The Doctor is quick to de-escalate the situation.

“You guys, stay back. Keep an eye out for me.” 

“Don’t have to tell me twice. I hate spiders.” You reply. Walking up to one of the cocoons, the Doctor rips it open, revealing a woman. 

“Do you know who this is?” She asks. This time, Robertson answers.

“Her name is Frankie. Look what they did to her.” He breathes. 

“Why are they in cocoons?” You question, not really looking forward to the answer.

“I think they’re being stored as food.” Answers the Doctor.

“Spiders don’t eat people, though… right?”

“I said they’re being stored. They haven’t eaten them. They’re outsized and confused. All their behavioural patterns have been disrupted. How did they get like this?”

“It doesn’t make sense. This is not what spiders do.” Jade pipes up as the Doctor opens another cocoon. 

“I presume this is Kevin?”

“Yeah.” Robertson says defeatedly. 

“Doctor, look.” Yaz says as you all venture deeper, despite Robertson’s protests. Out of the corner of your eye, you see him pick up Kevin’s fallen handgun and put it inside his jacket. You give him a suspicious look before moving on. 

“It’s a landfill.” Jade states.

“Is that what that smell is? It goes on for miles.” Speaks Nadjia. The place is illuminated by shafts of light, and the Doctor scans the surrounding area.

“And down.” She says. 

“Your hotel is built on a landfill?”

“I have a lot of companies, okay? JLR does corporate waste disposal. They’re very efficient, very highly rated internationally.” Defends Robertson. The Doctor scrunches up her nose, but it’s not because of the god-awful smell. 

“You fill up disused mines with landfill waste and build a luxury hotel on top?”

“Smart business planning. Perfect vertical integration.”

“Not quite perfect, I’m afraid. Not quite efficient. A blocked-in site pumping out methane and sulfides and trichloroethylene, never mind the specialist material that hasn’t been properly preserved. A soup of toxic waste, incredibly badly managed. I mean, there’s no outlet for it. It’s just building and marinating and becoming more and more toxic. It’s a botched job.” Finishes the Doctor. 

“I didn’t know.”

“Yes, you did,” Najia spat, “that’s what she was telling you when I saw you. That woman, Frankie.”

“Oh…”

“She was telling you the site was unsafe.”

“Okay, all right, you’re right. That’s why I came here. Apparently JLR was a little overzealous with cutting corners and worried about keeping the bottom line instead of doing the right thing. But I just sign the contracts, okay? I expect other people to do their jobs. This is not on me.”

“Except for the part where it is,” you say, “it is  _ your _ company regardless if you’re the one who’s doing it. Do you even care?”

“Look, I’m going to pay you all off. You’ll never have to work again.” Robertson states warily. 

“So, you’re giving us dirty money to cover up your company’s mistake… how typical.” You seethe.

“Listen, you… you have no idea. You millennials and your stupid opinions, why don’t you just go and--” You cut him off.

“And what?” you ask, stepping up to him, “you  _ really  _ want to finish that sentence? I. Dare. You.” 

“Oi! Stop it you two.” The Doctor calls. You stand your ground so Robertson is the one forced to back off.

“Look, I’ve never even been down here. It doesn’t even add up.”

“It does for me. JLR disposal. JLR takes the waste from our lab. Our aborted experiments and our spider carcasses.” Jade tells him. 

“And they’re all in there. Your spider carcasses in his toxic waste.” The Doctor responds, looking at the underground landfill.

“Not my fault. I didn’t know anything about spider carcasses.” 

“Course you didn’t. You don’t know anything. You just avoid taking any responsibility. I’m running through our work, stuff we shut down. Spiders bio-engineered for stronger webs, prolonged life.” Jade continues. 

“Because spiders keep growing as long as they live.” The Doctor chimes in. 

“What if our waste included something that we thought was dead, but actually wasn’t?”

“And with enough food in all that waste to survive, and enough toxicity to mutate and keep on growing.” 

“Great, we’re fucked.” You whisper, hoping nobody heard you, but you know better than to hope that because as soon as you utter those words, the Doctor whips her head around.

“Language, Y/N!”

A/N: I know I haven't updated in a while, but here's a short chapter for you all! I hope you enjoy it, please feel free to leave comments, dears <3


	17. Attitude and Care (Pt. 8)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Figuring out a plan is difficult, but paying attention is even more-so, especially when Jack Robertson is as insufferable as he is. The Doctor checks in on you and the fun begins.

You had all managed to make it back to the kitchen, with Ryan and Graham running from the opposite side of the corridor. Yaz was about to speak before Ryan cut her off.

“Massive spider in the ballroom!” Ryan shouts, making everyone still for a moment.

“How massive?” The Doctor inquires.

“The size of a large van.” Graham replies with a grim look on his face.

“Oh, joy…” You mumble, taking a moment to lean up against the counters in the kitchen.

“Wow, that is massive.”

“It must be the mother and the rest are the babies. Some stayed here, some went out into the city, their pheromones disrupting the spider ecosystem, causing other spiders to behave abnormally.” Jade spoke, gaining a reaction from the Doctor.

“Of course!” The Doctor exclaims before turning toward Yaz’s mother. “Najia, you were never the link. Your colleague, Anna. What if she had the same pheromones on her, accidentally calling out to a spider that had gone from this hotel? All these spiders are answering the same call, because in the end, every living thing has the same instinct. To come home.” The Doctor’s words cause Robertson to scoff.

“That’s all very touching, but there’s a plague in my hotel and it needs to be fixed.”

“That’s rich coming from you. You’re the one who needs to be fixed, seeing as you caused this to happen.” 

“Listen, as the future President of the--”

“Oh, do shut up.” You tell Robertson. The others go quiet for a moment before the Doctor tells him to take you all to his panic room. When you and the group reach Robertson’s panic room, it doesn’t look like what you’d expect. It’s more of a bank vault than a room.

“My lockdown palace. I have one in every hotel, just in case it’s needed. It’s not finished yet, but still.” 

“What’s in the boxes?” Ryan asks him.

“Food, water, entertainment system, a book. I could survive here for six months if I need to. And I’ve got a huge stash of weapons, enough for all of us. Enough for two guns apiece.”

“Oh, mate, she’s not going to like that.” Mumbled Ryan. The Doctor certainly wasted no time chiming in.

“No, I’m not. You are not shooting those creatures.”

“They’re mutants!” Robertson whined, trying to justify his words. “Shoot them!”

“We are not going to shoot them!” You and the Doctor both yelled in unison.

“Wait a minute, I thought you said you hated spiders..” Robertson said as he turned his attention to you.

“Oh, I do, but that doesn’t mean I kill them. Whenever there is a spider in my house, I take it outside, or I sometimes just leave it be.”

“And you say you’re American…” He mumbles. Since you both weren’t paying much attention, finally tuning into the conversation, you heard Jade speak.

“We shut them in and isolate them.”

“You’re going to let spiders use my panic room?”

“They deserve a humane death.”

“Shooting’s quicker.” 

“So, how’re you going to lure them?” Graham asks, completely ignoring the stuck-up businessman.

“Spiders gravitate to their food through vibration. Any ideas?” Asks the Doctor.

“Easy. Raze. Am I right?” Ryan offers.

“I don’t know what you’re saying.” Yaz responds to her friend. 

“Yaz, you’re so uncool right now.” Ryan tells her before turning on the entertainment system and blasting some kind of music. “Sheffield’s sickest grime station!” You all wait for a few minutes, but little by little, the spiders start appearing and walking into the panic room. You see Robertson in the shadows brandishing his gun at the spiders and you make eye contact, giving him a glare. 

You’re too preoccupied with keeping an eye on Robertson, that you totally miss the instructions that the Doctor has given to everyone. The Doctor startles you back into reality by grabbing your hand and dragging you with her.

“Where are we going?” You ask her. She looks back at you for a second with a concerned expression before turning forward again.

“Ballroom. You alright? You don’t seem to be paying much attention.” She says.

“I’m fine, I’m sorry. I’m just a bit tired, I suppose.” 

“Got it. How’s your pain right now?” She asks as she stops abruptly. You almost run into her, but catch yourself. She whirls around and places her hands softly on your upper arms. “Really, how are you doing right now? Pain, dizzy?” The genuine concern and, well, love in her voice makes you want to laugh and cry at the same time.

“I’m a bit more in pain than usual, but other than that, I’m fine. I am a little dizzy, but I should be okay.” She gives you a hum in return before reaching into her coat pocket and producing a small water bottle. 

“Here, drink.” You sigh and roll your eyes.

“Do we really have time for this?” 

“Yes, now drink.” She commands. Begrudgingly, you unscrew the cap and empty the water bottle. “Thank you.” She says, putting the empty bottle back in her coat pocket and patting your cheek softly, causing a blush to spread across your face. 

“Erm..uh, so what are we doing?” You stutter.

“Getting rid of the spiders. Ready?”

“Ready.”

A/N: Greetings, here's another chapter for you all! The next chapter will be the conclusion of 'Arachnids in the UK' and will contain a little softness between reader and the Doctor. Enjoy <3


	18. Shots, Shots, Shots (End of Ep. Arachnids in the UK')

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little mishap regarding the spiders leads to you getting injured. The fam is ready for adventures, and the Doctor is ready to get your shirt off (But not in THAT way)

Gathered in the ballroom, the Doctor with a contraption on her back, your group is ready to end this. The Doctor looks around and spots the massive spider Ryan was talking about.

“Ooo! Very big spider.” She says softly. Ryan gives the contraption on her back an odd look. 

“What have we got?” He asks. 

“Peppermint and tea tree oil diluted with water. Spider repellant. I’m hoping this will help us herd them out.”

“You want us to herd out a giant spider? They’re attacking people.” Graham exclaims. Jade shushes Graham and chimes in.

“Stop a second. Do you see that?” Your gaze follows hers, landing on the big spider, the mother, trying to climb the wall. It’s disheartening to see, and quite sad, if you’re being perfectly honest. The Doctor feels the same way.

“It’s grown too big.”

“She’s suffocating. She’s got too big to breathe efficiently. Even moving around here, it’s using up what little oxygen she can absorb. She won’t survive for long. She’s more scared of us than we are of her.” Jade says.

“I’m so sorry this happened to you.” The Doctor mumbles to the spider. 

“So what do we do, just leave her?” Graham asks. Robertson enters the large room, showing off his gun like the pompous ass he is. 

“No, absolutely not!” The Doctor shouts at him. 

“My hotel, my rules. I am the future President of the United States. How’s this for fire and fury?” Robertson yells as he raises his gun at the mother spider.

“No, don’t!” You exclaim, running toward the spider. He fires two shots, since you startled him. One hitting the spider, and one hitting your side. Instantly, your hands press down hard in an effort to stop the blood flowing from the wound. “You shot me, you bastard!” 

“Put the gun down. She wasn’t a real threat, and you  _ shot _ Y/N!” The Doctor yelled, her harsh gaze landing on the businessman. 

“I don’t need your approval, Doctor. This is what the world needs right now. This is what is going to get me to the White House.” Robertson states, albeit a bit shakily, before leaving. The others rush toward you as you collapse.

“It’s okay, kiddo. The Doctor is going to help, alright?” Graham tells you, propping you up and letting you rest against him, like the proper grandad he is. 

“Yeah,” you breathe, “it just hurts. A lot.” This causes Graham to chuckle.

“I know, love.” Yaz says just off to your left. The Doctor, dropping the thing on her back, came over to you and dropped to her knees. 

“I am so sorry, Y/N.” 

“It’s okay, Doctor. Let’s just get to the TARDIS, yeah?” She nods and slips an arm around your waist, helping you up. You all arrive back at the blue police box, the Doctor dragging you inside.

“Proper goodbye this time.” The Doctor tells the rest of the gang.

“About that.” Ryan says.

“Do we have to? You see, Doc, the thing about grief is that it needs time. I don’t want to sit round my house waiting for it to go away, cause that house is full of Grace, and it makes it so much harder. But, er, being with you and seeing all these things out here, it really helps.” Graham speaks. 

“What about you?” She asks Ryan.

“Do you really think I want to go back to working in that warehouse? No way.” He laughs.

“Yaz, you wanted to come home.”

“I know. I love my family, but they also drive me completely insane. I want more. More of the universe. More time with you all. You’re like, the best people I’ve ever met.”

“You’re pretty awesome.” Ryan agrees. 

“You’re alright, I suppose.” Graham mumbles, earning a shoulder bump from his grandson. 

“I can’t guarantee you’ll be safe.” The Doctor says, still keeping a firm, but gentle, grip on your waist. 

“We know.” 

“Do you? Really? Cause when I pull that lever, I never know what’s going to happen.”

“That’s okay.” Ryan assures her. 

“You’re not going to come back as the same people that left here.”

“But that’s alright. I think that’s good.” Graham says.

“Be sure. All of you, be sure.”

“Sure.” Yaz says.

“Sure.” Graham agrees.

“Deffo.” Ryan chimes in. 

“Look at you. My fam.” The Doctor grins, drawing you into her in a slight, unnoticeable hug. “No, that still doesn’t work. Team TARDIS?” The Doctor’s rambling causes the rest of your found family to laugh.

“Sure, we’ll take that.” Yaz grins at you both. 

“Welcome aboard. Properly. Let’s do it together, yeah?” You all put your hands on the lever and pull, the TARDIS dematerializing. “Right, let’s get you to the med bay, shall we?” The Doctor mumbles to you, helping you walk toward the in-house hospital. Sitting you down on the bed, the Doctor turns around to rummage through the cupboard, taking a rolling tray with her. 

“This reminds me of when you dragged me in here when we first met.” You laughed, hissing when it irritated the gunshot wound.

“This is a bit more complicated than that though.” The Doctor says, rolling the tray full of supplies toward you. “Now, I’m sorry to ask, but I need you to take off your shirt.” 

“E-Excuse me?” You stutter. Realizing the connotations of what she said, a bright red blush bloomed on her face, matching your own.

A/N: Enjoy! Sorry, I left it on a little cliffhanger, but I have a cute chapter coming up :) Please, feel free to leave comments <3


	19. Borrowing Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having patched up your gunshot wound, it's off to bed with a very exhausted reader

“So I can clean up your gunshot wound.” She quickly recovered from the earlier embarrassment. 

“Might need a bit of help though.” You said sheepishly. She gave a nod, accompanied by a nose scrunch, before taking the hem and pulling the shirt over your head, leaving you in just your bra, to which you gave a groan of pain.

“Sorry, sorry. Now, just lay back, this might hurt a bit.” And, boy, was she right because you almost gave a shout when she poured on the antiseptic. 

“At least you warned me it would hurt this time, Doc.” 

“Hey! I told you last time…” She mumbled, causing you to laugh.

“No, you didn’t.”

“Well, I meant to.”

“So you said.” You chuckled lightly. Her fingers prodded over your side and onto your back, giving a triumphant shout. 

“Aha! Brilliant!” She yelled.

“What is so brilliant about me getting shot?” You questioned.

“You have an exit wound! That’s perfect, marvelous even…” She started to ramble, but you tuned her out, the pain settling in your bones, and side, now that you had time to be sedentary. “... patched up… Y/N?” You heard her ask.

“Hm?” 

“You alright?” 

“Yeah, ‘m fine, I just hurt.” You mumbled tiredly.

“And tired. Let’s get you to bed, shall we?” She told you, helping you off the bed and into the corridor to take you to your room. The TARDIS must have moved it closer to the med bay because it took less than two seconds to get there, which you were thankful for. The Doctor sat you on your bed before leaving out the door, presumably to grab something she forgot, since she left the door open. The TARDIS knew you didn’t like heat, so she always kept your room cold for you, which was great, except for the fact that now you were without a shirt. “Brilliant, here we go.” The Doctor said upon reentering your bedroom. She held up a red shirt, well, correction… she held up  _ her  _ red shirt, like the one she wore a couple days ago. 

“Your shirt?” You inquired.

“Yours is all bloodied up, so you can borrow mine.” You were too exhausted to protest, so you just gave a soft nod and let her help you into it. It was warm, as if it was in the dryer beforehand, and smelled like her. “Ah! Before I forget, take this and put it under your tongue,” she said, handing you a bright pink pill, “should help with the pain.”

“Tastes like… bubblegum?” She grinned at your reaction. 

“Yep! That’s to mask the flavor of the pain medication, which tastes a bit like Sontaran dung on it’s own. Now, in you get.” The Doctor said, holding back the duvet, and cocooning it around you as you lay down. You gave a content hum as you drifted to sleep, but not before you felt the feather-light touch of the Doctor’s fingers on your cheek, and a quick peck to your hairline, and off you went to the land of dreams. 

A/N: Very short chapter, but I think it's sweet. Enjoy and please leave some comments if you'd like to! 


	20. NOT A CHAPTER

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not a chapter, just a little note.

Greetings, my lovelies, I'm sorry to say that this is not a chapter... my chronic pain is flaring up and I'm exhausted by my chronic illnesses. Don't fret, I haven't given up, the update is just going to take a little longer, that's all. Thank you so much to everyone who has read the story thus far, I appreciate it. As always, leave comments if you wish, I love reading them, especially on days when I'm not feeling the best <3


	21. NOT A CHAPTER

Greetings! I just wanted to let you all know that I am continuing with this story, so don't worry. There will be a chapter posted later this week, I promise <3


	22. Favorite Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your gunshot wound has healed nicely, but another pain is blooming and the Doctor catches you in an embarrassing situation. Well, embarrassing to you, at least.

You woke up in insurmountable pain, and not from the gunshot wound, which would have been a welcome newness. No, sadly… no, this was your chronic pain creeping up to bite you in the ass. It hurt to even think,your entire body was aching, and it felt like it was on fire, save from your pelvis, which felt like it had been through the wringer.  _ No, no _ …

“No!” You groaned, pushing the heels of your palms against your eyes. You were in a pain flare, and a pretty bad one at that. You moved your hands to pull at your hair a bit before whispering to yourself, “how am I going to keep this from the Doctor?” 

“Keep what from me?” The Doctor said, startling you, as she walked into your room. You scrambled to sit up, trying your best not to show just how much you hurt.

“N-nothing, nothing at all.” 

“Alright then… can I see your wound, please?” She asked you, and you nodded in return. She gingerly lifted up your shirt, well,  _ her _ shirt, to see it. “Brilliant! It’s healed up quite nicely.” You gave a tight-lipped smile as a burning pain shot through your hip joints, causing her to scrunch her nose. “You okay?”

“Mhm.” You squeaked, tears pricking at the corner of your eyes. She narrowed her eyes at you, not in a menacing way though, of course. She crossed her arms and stood back, giving you her famous nose scrunch. “Really, I’m fine.” 

“See, I don’t think you are though. Is it the gunshot wound?” She inquired, her eyes becoming dark as she thought of Robertson’s actions the day before. You shook your head and went to stand, holding tightly to the bedpost. However, it wasn’t tight enough as sharp pain bolted from your toes to your lower back, causing you to lose your balance and your legs to buckle. A small squeak came from your throat as you fell, thankfully caught by the Doctor. “What’s wrong?” 

“I’m..” You started, but your pain was growing. You clung to the Doctor’s arm for a moment, tears finally flowing. 

“Y/N, are you alright?”

“No...” You uttered softly through the sobs. 

“Oh, love…” She whispered against your ear. “What is it, what can I do?” You took a deep, shuddering breath before trying to speak again. 

“It’s a pain flare, a really… really bad pain flare. Can you just… help me back to bed, please?” She tried to help you to your feet, but those shooting pains refused to let that happen, so she just took you into her arms and carried you back to your spot in bed. “My meds are in my bag in the corner, could you grab them?” You asked her.

“‘Course!” She beamed at you, quickly rummaging through your bag before handing you the orange pill bottle. “Do you need water?”

“I have a water bottle on my nightstand, but thank you.” You said, popping a pill in your mouth before following it with a sip of water. “I… I’m sorry, this is so embarrassing. You shouldn’t have to see me like this, and--”

“Oh, shush, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I am a doctor, afterall.” She gave you a toothy grin and gave your hand a squeeze. The dried tears tracks on your face were quickly joined by fresh ones.

“No, it  _ is  _ embarrassing, and you shouldn’t have to deal with me, Doctor. I just hate how my body is, and… UGH!” You screamed out, pressing your hands to your eyes again, sobs overtaking your body once again. 

“Oh, Y/N… Let’s not do that, yeah?” The Doctor whispered softly as she pulled your hands away from your face. She looked at your tear-streaked face, and she was the one person to not look at you with pity. No, she looked at you with something else, something you couldn’t quite put your finger on. Your crying had died down a bit, but there were still tears, which the Doctor swiped away with the pads of her thumbs. 

“I’m sorry.” You mumbled through sniffles. 

“You’re alright, there is nothing for you to be sorry for. Why don’t you rest a bit?” 

“No, I’m fine, I can be fine.”

“Y/N, you are going to rest,” she said sternly, “Doctor’s orders.” The Doctor went to leave, but you grabbed her coat sleeve.

“Stay?” 

“I don’t know…” She trailed off.

“Please, Doctor?” 

“Oh, alright.” She said, and went to sit on the side of the bed, but you gestured to the space beside you instead. She gave you the same look she had before and kicked off her boots to sit on top of the duvet, back against the headboard. You snuggled in close to her and put your head on her shoulder, the sound of her heartbeats filling your ears and helping to lull you to sleep. 

“Is this okay?” You mumbled into her jacket. She gave a hum in response and started to softly run her fingers through your hair. Your eyes closed and you were half asleep when you heard her ask you a question.

“Do you want to know a secret?” She whispered.

“Hm?”

“You’re my favorite human.” Her words warmed your heart, and your face, as you unconsciously buried your face further into her shoulder, finally falling fully asleep. 

A/N: Greetings, one and all, I have finished another chapter for you. This certainly isn't my best chapter, but I felt it needed to be added. This chapter is also a personal one, so please be kind in the comments. Thank you, lovelies <3


	23. NOT A CHAPTER

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DON'T BE MAD AT ME

Hello, lovelies, please don't be mad at me. Before you jump to conclusions, yes, I am still writing this story. I just have a very important doctor's appointment coming up this week and I am honestly terrified. I've just been focused on getting ready for this appointment, so I'll try to update when I can, but the latest chapter likely won't be up till next week. Please understand that I am chronically ill and my health comes first, but I am very transparent about when chapters will be up, so please bear with me. I hope you all are doing well, please feel free to comment, and I hope to speak to you all soon <3


	24. Without Me? (Tsuranga Conundrum Pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feeling a bit better than before, you and the fam set out to find a much needed part for the TARDIS. However, like always, something went wrong.

Tiredly, you reach over and burrow into the Doctor’s coat. Well, her coat is there, but she is not in it. You open your eyes to find the lilac fabric severely lacking it’s owner. Feeling a bit better than before, you grab it and exit your room to find the Doctor. 

“Y/N!” The Doctor exclaims excitedly as you enter the console room, giving you a big grin. “Ah, you brought back my coat too!”

“How are you feeling, kiddo?” Graham asks.

“Hm?”

“The Doc said you were in a flare of sorts.”

“Oh, yeah. I took my meds and took a little nap, so I’m feeling a bit better than before.” 

“Good enough for a little adventure?” Yaz asked you with a smile.

“I should be, why?” You responded.

“I need to find some parts for the TARDIS and ten eyes are better than one.” The Doctor answered.

“Uh, you mean two?” You asked, holding back a laugh.

“Yeah, that too!” You shake your head at her response. You watch as the Doctor lands the TARDIS, but before you all could exit, she handed each of you a metal detector. 

“Okay, then…” You mumbled under your breath, setting off onto whatever planet the Doctor plopped you on. 

“Let’s get searching, fam!” She shouts, walking away behind a pile of… junk. In fact, the whole planet is covered in junk. Cue to a few hours, and a lot of searching, later, and you still haven’t found whatever the Doctor was looking for.

“We are never going to find one!” Exclaimed Ryan, with an exasperated sigh. 

“Course we are, I’ve programmed the detectors specifically. I found seven the last time I was here.” The Doctor responded.

“And how long did that take you?” Graham asked. 

“It couldn’t have been more than a month. Unless that was Seffilun 59…”

“And which one is this?” Yaz inquired.

“Seffilun 27. Maybe 59’s the one with the big pile of these. That’s the problem with junk galaxies, all the planets look the same. It’s hard to keep track.”

“If we spent the last, what, four hours searching for something on the wrong planet, I am going to scream.” You grumbled, very, very tired from searching. 

“Oi! Who took you rainbathing in the upward tropics of Kinstarno?” 

“Uh… I don’t remember this. When did this happen?” You asked. Glancing behind you at the rest of the fam, guilty looks on all of their faces, you turned back to the Doctor. “You went _ without _ me?! You  _ went _ …  _ without me?!! _ ” The Doctor’s face grew red at the guilt.

“You know, you remind me of Donna…” She trailed off with a small smile.

“Who?”

“Another time.” She retorts. 

“Sorry, kiddo… anyway, this is like a needle in a haystack.” Graham said. 

“Yeah, you may be right.”

“No, hold on. I’ve found something!” Graham yells. The Doctor moves to where he is and uncovers the item. It has flashing lights and kind of looks like a landmine.

“I’m sorry.” The Doctor blurts out. 

“What, why?” You ask. 

“Nobody move,” she says as she scans whatever it is, “if I can keep it in a temporal lock… No, it’s got too many censors, it won’t work. It was camouflaged! This is someone’s idea of a nasty joke.” The Doctor grits her teeth in anger, an emotion you don’t see very often from her. 

“What is it?” Questions Yaz. 

“Sonic mine. It’s counting down.”

“Down to what? What’s a sonic mine?” You question, but you are swiftly ignored.

“How long we got?” Graham pipes up. 

“Three, two…” The Doctor counts.

“Wait--” But you’re cut off as everything flashes white, then fades to black as you, and presumably the rest of your group, are knocked unconscious.

A/N: Alas, I am alive! I deeply apologize for not updating in such a long while, I've been going through some stuff, and even though I'm still not in the best place with things, I feel like you all deserved an update. Please enjoy, my lovelies, and I hope to have another chapter ready for you earlier than the last <3


	25. Wonky Start (Tsuranga Conundrum Pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Off to a bit of a wonky start, Team TARDIS wake up on Tsuranga, but not everyone is happy to be saved from that sonic mine... namely, that blonde alien of ours

Your eyelids open slowly, but close again once you take in how bright everything is. 

“Am I dead or something?” You croak. You hear a laugh off to your side that sounds an awful lot like Graham. “Are  _ we  _ dead?”

“No, kiddo, we’re in hospital. They’ve brought us all round. You’re the last one up. Well, you and the Doc.” He responded with another chuckle. 

“We don’t have medtags.” Yaz says to a woman off to the side, a touch of annoyance in her voice. 

“Oh, it wasn’t my mistake.” The young woman voices. 

“Told you.” Her companion mumbles.

“Except you must have. We need your full bio-history, allergies, fluid levels, life-span data.”

“It’s basically to help us avoid killing you. Take it slow.” The male companion says, but you notice it’s not directed at you. That is when you finally realize the Doctor is on the cot next to you.

“There was a sonic mine…” She mumbles. 

“Yeah, the robo-dredgers notified us as they were pulling you from the debris. We’ve stabilised your vital organs. You’re lucky they got to you fast.”

“Stabilised my organs? What happened to them?” Graham exclaimed.

“Wonder if the jumbled organs will cancel out my chronic illnesses…” You whispered to yourself, but catching the ear of Yaz. 

“I’m not a doctor, Y/N, but I don’t think it works that way.” She laughed. 

“I’ve seen quite a few sonic mine injuries here,” the man said, completely ignoring you side conversation with Yaz, “They disrupt your internal organic stability, whilst churning up the exterior environment. Tsuranga’s actually agitating for the territories to be swept more fully, but…” He continues before being interrupted by a monitor beep. 

“Tsuranga? I know that name…” The Doctor trails off, trying to stand, but her legs fail quickly. 

“Doctor?” Ryan voices, concerned. 

“Oh,” she groaned, pressing firmly into her left side, “where have I heard the name Tsuranga? Whatever. Very grateful. Need to get back to our ship. Oh! Come on, you lot.”

“Hey! Come back!” The man runs after the Doctor as she stumbles into the corridor. 

“Normally, I would go after her, but I am… very dizzy and I don’t feel like it would be the best idea to stand right now.” You said.

“Someone should stay with you, love.” Graham told you. Ryan and Yaz nodded in agreement. 

“I’ll be fine, I’ve got…” Trailing off, you gestured to the young woman in the room.

“Mabli.” She said. 

“Yeah, I’ve got Mabli with me. You guys go and find wherever our Doc went off to.” You give your friends a smile and they exit the room, leaving you and Mabli alone. “Sorry, I’m going to be a bit.”

“It’s okay.” Mabli said. 

“You know, I noticed that you weren’t very sure of yourself earlier. Why was that?”

“I’m not very good at this job..” 

“I don’t think that’s true, and I don’t think your partner does either. If it makes you feel any better, I think you’re doing just fine.” You said with a smile, giving her hand a squeeze before letting go. “Ah, would you mind lending me your hand while I stand?”

“Sure.” Mabli said, standing up and giving you her hand to hold onto, giving a smile to you in return. 

“Thanks. Sorry about that. Now, let’s go find my Doctor.” 

A/N: Another chapter for you, my lovelies! It may be a bit short, but again, I am chronically ill and I am trying my best. December is a hard month. Please feel free to leave comments, they make my day <3


	26. She Never Stills (Tsuranga Conundrum Pt. 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor never sits still, does she? Oh, well... since she's a bit weaker than usual, maybe the medics will be able to wrangle her.

You and Mabli walk out to the corridor, following the voices of your friends, when you hear the Doctor shout a bit. 

“Oh, that bit hurts. Oh! That bit really hurts,” she says, “where’s the exit? Why are there no signs for the exit?”

“Doc?” You ask, running up to her, wrapping your arm around her waist to help her stand. 

“I’m fine, Y/N.” She mumbles, trying to shake you off.

“Ha! That… you are not.” She just groans in response and lets you help her. She pulls you into a room, rejoining Yaz, Ryan, and Graham, along with… a man who looks like he’s expecting. 

“Hi. Very sorry. Looking for the exit.” 

“Hello.” The man says. 

“Somebody needs to rethink the signage on this building. I’d do it myself, but I need…” The Doctor trails off before wincing and leaning into you. “Oh! Ah! My ecto-spleen hurts. I can feel it resettling.” 

“I’m not even going to ask what an ecto-spleen is, but maybe you should sit down?” You try to convince her. Of course, in true Doctor fashion, she ignores you. 

“Oh, you’re the sonic mine lot? Sounded pretty serious, how are you feeling?” The stranger asks.

“Rough. What are you in for?” Ryan questions. 

“Pregnant.” 

“Blimey. Yes, you are.” Yaz exclaims in surprise. 

“Almost ready to pop.” Chimes the Doctor. 

“How’d you get like that?”

“Got involved with someone whilst on holiday. Didn’t take precautions, like an idiot.” The man responds. 

“So, what’s that, nine months?” You ask.

“No, last week.”

“Pardon?” 

“Oh…” the Doctor sighs, “you’re a Gifftan. Male pregnancies last a week. Very intense.”

“Well, you learn something new every day, I guess.” You say, retracting your arm from around the Doctor as she leans up against the bed the man is laying on. Tuning out the conversation, you have a look around the room, but inevitably your attention lands back on the man. “So… what’s your name?” 

“Yoss. You?” 

“Y/N. Are you… excited about the pregnancy?” You venture.

“I think so. Like I said though, I’m a day overdue, so I’m a bit nervous. They want to induce me on Resus One.” Yoss informs you. 

“Ah. Don’t worry, it looks like you’re in good hands. I think--”

“Argh!” The Doctor interrupts you. “I’m walking. No need to walk with me. I need to walk on my own. Four days. Walking. Come on, limbs.” 

“Where… where is she going?” 

“Not far.” Mabli’s companion answers, quickly following after your blonde friend. You give a big sigh and sit next to Yoss.

“She just never stops, I swear…”

A/N: I apologize for the short chapter, but writing has been difficult as of late. I do hope you enjoy, and please comment if you're so inclined :)


	27. Burning Surprise (Tsuranga Conundrum Pt. 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mysterious being appears on the ship, Astos is definitely dead, and the Doctor surprises you... What a day this has been.

“I think I’m going to stay here for a bit, what about you all?” You ask your group of friends. 

“Yeah, I’m still a bit shaken up by the sonic mine.” Graham responds. The others just give you a nod. You start up a conversation with Yoss and the rest of the gang, and you don’t know how much time has passed when suddenly the whole ship shakes. 

“What the hell was that?!” You exclaim, running out into the corridor, followed by Ryan, Mabli, Yaz, and Graham. You catch up with the Doctor to see a small, hairless thing munching through the circuits. It turns and gives you all a snarl.

“Where’s Astos? Oh, my saints!” Mabli cries. 

“What is that?” Graham questions.

“Seconded.” You mumble. The being roars in response. “Wow… for such a small thing, it sure has a big roar.” 

“I don’t know what it is, but it’s incredibly dangerous. It jettisoned the life-pods, and it killed Astos.” The Doctor tells you. Mabli stills beside you.

“What?”

"I’m sorry, Mabli, but it’s down to us to get to Resus One now,” the Doctor says before turning to the little being, “and you - off this ship, back into space, right now, else you’ll have me to deal with!” The being snarls in response and then swallows a gigantic piece of metal that’s bigger than itself. 

“What the actual fuck?” You whisper under your breath. Of course, the Doctor heard it and shot you a look. 

“It just sort of ignored you there, Doc.”

“Got that. Thanks, Graham.”

“How is it eating all of that stuff?” You ask.

“No idea.” The Doctor responds, inching closer to the being with the sonic in her hand. You’re more focused on whatever this thing is, rather than what the Doctor is saying, so you don’t hear her next words, but you do see the thing lurch forward to bite the sonic out of her hand. 

“Oh!” The Doctor shouts.

“It’s got nerve.” Says Ryan. 

“It just ate my sonic!” She says, but the being quickly coughs it up. The Doctor picks it up, but it doesn’t seem to be working anymore. “Huh.” The thing looks at all of you before hissing and burrowing into the ducts of the ship, sending sparks into the corridor. A few hit you and narrowly miss your eyes, but you fall into the wall and hit your head pretty hard regardless. 

“Ah, fuck!” You yell, crouched on the ground, hand to your head and eyes shut tight. 

“Y/N!” Mabli exclaims, joining you on the floor and trying to assess you. 

“I’m fine.” You wince. 

“You’re bleeding.” Observes Mabli.

“Am I? Woops.” 

“You alright?” The Doctor asks, crouching down in front of you and going to grab your face. 

“I’m fine, just a little bump. Promise.” 

“Mabli, could you take her to where Yoss is and assess her there? I don’t want any of us to be alone, we’re safer in groups until we figure out what this alien is.” She says, completely ignoring you. Mabli nods and both women help you to your feet, holding you steady as you sway. Arriving at the room where Yoss is, Mabli and the Doctor sit you down gently on the bed next to him. 

“How are you going to figure out what that thing is?” You ask.

“I don’t know, but I will figure it out.”

“Does this ship have cameras?” 

“Well, no, but all Tsuranga medics are implanted with ocular recorders. Why?” Mabli questions.

“Could you… like.. sync them with the ship or something? You must have a database on this ship, otherwise I don’t know how you’d identify the species of the patients you pick up.” You say. “Huh… I _can_ be smart sometimes. I guess only when I’m injured, though. Figures.”

“Oh, brilliant idea!” The Doctor exclaims. Without thinking, she grabs your face and plants a quick kiss right on your lips before spinning around and walking toward the door. “Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. Come on, Mabli, let’s find out what this little one is.” Mabli quickly runs after her, leaving you with a burning, blushing face.

A/N: Sorry for the suuuper late update, but I've been going through some things recently and haven't had the energy to write. Enjoy the little surprise at the end ;) Happy holidays, feel free to comment, and enjoy, my lovelies!


	28. NOT A CHAPTER

Greetings, all, I apologize, but this is not a chapter. Do you want me to continue this story? I didn't expect my writing to get the reviews it did, so everything I'm writing is for your consumption and I'm just wondering if this is still something you want to read. It brings me great joy to read your comments and hear your thoughts, so that's why I ask. I give you my best <3


	29. Hands (Tsuranga Conundrum Pt. 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When do you ever stay still? Nevermind, don't answer that. Anyway, you go to seek out the Doctor and end up learning a few things about the mysterious creature.

You’re still frozen in place from the surprise kiss when Yoss clears his throat. 

“Are you two together?” He asks.

“...H-huh? What?” You answer, turning around to face him.

“You and the blonde one, are you together?”

“Uh, no.” 

“You sure? Seems like it. Just try not to get into a situation like me.” Yoss chuckles, pointing at his pregnant belly. 

“I’ll, uh, try not to. Do you mind if I…?” You say, pointing to the exit.

“Go ahead. I’ll be just here.” He smiles. You give him a small thank you and move to stand up when your head starts to spin. “You alright?” 

“Yeah, just give me a minute, I’m fine.” You steady yourself as much as you can and move on to find the Doctor. You follow the direction where you saw the Doctor go and your ears pick up on the voices of your friends. Walking in the room, unnoticed, you see a hologram pop up of the mysterious creature.

“Item Seven Alpha Cubed. Pting.” The computer speaks, making a jump a bit, but other than that, you are still undetected. 

“Pting?” The group inquires.

“Pting. Threat level, Chalice.” 

“Is that bad?” Ryan asks. Mabli gives a stunned nod.

“Worst one. One up from beetroot.” This statement causes you to give a snort, which automatically gives you away.

“Oi!  _ You  _ should be in bed!” The Doctor exclaims. 

“Oh, psshh, I’m fine. Just a little bump.” 

“Sh! The computer’s still goin’.” Ryan tells you both. 

“...While strictly non-carnivorous, they devour all non-organic material.”

“Well, that’s something.” Chimes Yaz. 

“Is it really? I mean, it won’t eat us, but it will eat the ship we’re on.” Graham says. The computer goes on.

“They move at great speed, and while they may be momentarily stunned, are impossible to wound or kill. Pting skin is understood to be toxic to most life forms. Never touch a Pting directly. Pting should never be restricted to a confined space.”

“Well, that’s great…” You mumble.

“Condensed advice. Never engage with Pting. Risk to life, ultimate.” The computer finishes and the hologram disappears. 

“On the plus side, I now feel very well informed. Seven minutes. Get everyone to the assessment area.” The Doctor instructs.

“Why seven minutes?” Questions Mabli.

“I need a moment to think.” 

“Right, yeah, well, I think I should probably help the others…” You move to follow your friends out the door when the Doctor grabs your hands and holds it in a tight grip to prevent you from leaving the room.

“Oh, no…  _ You  _ stay with  _ me _ . I can’t trust you to be by yourself.” 

“That’s not true!” You huff.

“I told you to stay with Yoss and you didn’t.”

“Now, that’s  _ definitely _ not true because you  _ definitely _ didn’t tell me that.”

“Oh,” the Doctor scrunches up her nose, “well, I meant to. Anyway, no arguments!” You just give a big sigh in response… until you notice that she’s still holding your hand. Your face heats up again, but you decide not to say anything to see how long it will take her to notice. There’s a beat before the Doctor speaks again. “Too fast to chase and capture, too toxic to touch directly. It’s a bit of a puzzler…”

It’s going to kill us all, isn’t it?” Mabli groans, and you can practically feel the worry in her voice.

“Whoa, Mabli! You went there way too quick. I said a puzzler, not a death sentence. I mean, it is a bit of a challenge, and I can’t quite see a solution yet, but that’s life. Or medicine. Patients present problems, you figure them out and come up with solutions. That’s what this is. A problem to be diagnosed. Medicine to be administered. You’re a medic, I’m the Doctor.” She says, gesturing around with her hands, and because she is still holding it, your hand as well. 

“A doctor of medicine?”

“Well, medicine, science, engineering, candyfloss, Lego, philosophy, music, problems, people, hope. Mostly hope.”

“I’m struggling to see much hope here.” Mabli mumbles.

“It doesn’t just offer itself up. You have to use your imagination. Imagine the solution and work to make it a reality. Whole worlds pivot on acts of imagination.”

“So, what are you imagining now?”

“Broadly, I’m imagining that thing off this ship. Specifically, I’m trying to imagine the answer to the question, what does it want?”

“Does it have to want anything?” Mabli asks. 

“Every living thing, from the tiniest to the largest, wants something. Food, survival, space.”

“Or trust…” You grumble, but the Doctor hears you like she always does and gives you a look. 

“But the first thing it did was kill Astos. That must be what it wants to do to all of us.” Mabli speaks.

“Not if Astos was, and I’m sorry to say this, collateral damage. Maybe this Pting didn’t mean to kill him?” You venture. For a moment, it seems like the Doctor was going to speak, but she’s quickly cut off by the sound of alarms.

“What are these?” The Doctor asks, pulling you over to what looks like a control pad,  _ still holding your hand _ . 

“They’re… bad,” Mabli informs you both, “this ship has over 5,000 different scan sensors. They’re constantly feeding back to Resus One. They monitor everything, both internally and externally, check the routing’s stable and there are no hostile forms, however microbial, on board.” 

“So… I’m guessing that those systems have found the Pting?” Mabli gives you a nod in response before continuing. 

“They’re asking us to confirm or deny that anything is wrong. We can’t take a creature like that back to Resus One. There’s thousands of vulnerable patients.”

“And if we confirm it’s on board?” The Doctor inquires.

“They’ll recommend evacuation.”

“But we can’t evacuate.”

“They go straight to RST. Remote structural termination. They destroy the ship.” Mabli finishes.

“Right.” You swallow. The Doctor stops the alarm.

“Nothing wrong. We’re fine.” The Doctor says. 

“We can’t keep doing that. Three dismissals and they don’t believe you. Precautionary detonation.” Mabli informs you both.

“Who the hell designed that? So the ship basically gets destroyed either way, either by the Pting or by control from Resus One?” You exclaim.

“Yeah… sorry.”

A/N: Greetings, my lovelies, here is another chapter for you. I apologize for the length of time in between chapters, but I have been in a flare since New Year's Eve. Anyway, please feel free to leave comments, they really make my day <3


	30. NOT A CHAPTER

I apologize for the frequency of these author's notes, but it's going to be a bit before the new chapters come out. I've had some pretty devastating news come to me as of late, I learned yesterday that my best friend has died and I am still reeling from the information and it hasn't fully hit me yet. Please understand, it is very difficult for me right now to even be writing this. Be kind while I'm away, lovelies <3


	31. Handheld Crush (Tsuranga Conundrum Pt. 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This ship you all are on? It sucks... but you can't really focus on that with so many things going on at once. I mean... is the reader crushing on the Doctor?

The Doctor, after everyone had gathered in the assessment room, took position at the front of the room to address you all.

“You’re probably wondering why I called you all here. Sorry, bit Poirot. I-” She started, but was cut off by a small laugh from you. You tried to pass it off as a cough.

“Sorry, go on.” 

“I need to bring you all up to speed very directly, very succinctly. I can’t sugar-coat this.”

“Where’s the Chief Medic?” A woman in very official-looking clothing asks. 

“Gone. Killed by an alien organism called Pting that’s come on board. Very fast moving, very deadly, and it’s eating its way through the structure of the ship. Also, and this is the bit you need to work on not panicking, it’s jettisoned the life-pods. I’m the Doctor. These are my friends, Ryan, Graham, Yaz, and Y/N. You know Mabli, our very capable medic. We will pool all our brilliance and get us all safely to Resus One.” The Doctor finishes her spiel and looks around the room. “I thought there’d be more questions… did you think there’d be more questions?” She asked you. 

“Kind of…” You admit. 

“I’ve encountered a Pting before. It massacred my fleet.” The woman from before pipes up. 

“Sorry, not to be rude, but who are you?” You whispered to yourself.

“That’s General Eve Cicero, obviously, Y/N!” The Doctor exclaimed before going back on topic. You look incredulously to Yaz, but she just shakes her head signalling you to just leave it be. The Doctor turns her attention back to the general. “Okay. What did you learn about them? What do they want?”

“They kill. Relentlessly.” Cicero responds, and just after she finishes speaking, the lights flicker and go out.” 

“For fuck’s sake… that’s wonderful.” You grumble, earning a sharp hand squeeze and, you assume, a pointed look from the Doctor.

“It must have got to the central systems. That means we’ll soon lose oxygen and heat.” Mabli informed, ignoring you.

“It’ll go for whatever’s powering the craft next.” Said Cicero. 

“We’re on an anti-matter drive.”

“We could use stazers to defend ourselves. They can stun it briefly. Got any of those on board?” 

“A couple, I think. In here.” Mabli turns and opens a cupboard to retrieve the stazers. 

“Now, if we’re going to live through this…” General Cicero begins.

“Protect the anti-matter drive!” Mabli, Cicero, and the Doctor say at the same time.

“Snap!” The Doctor exclaims.

“Snap?” You chuckle at the Doctor. She sends you a nervous grin before turning her attention back to the speaking Cicero. You don’t really pay attention to the rest of the conversation, you’re still caught up in the Doctor’s smile and the constant hand holding between you two. Your reverie is interrupted by Yoss.

“Er, is this a bad moment to mention my internal fluids have broken? I think the baby’s coming. Really sorry.” Yoss announces. Mabli immediately bounces into action.

“Right. The BirthBud’s set up in your patient-pod. Let’s get you back there.”

“But there’s no power!” 

“It will have a backup generator. No need to panic.” Yoss takes a deep breath in at Mabli’s words. 

“Okay. Oh,” he says, turning to Ryan and Graham, “would you two be my doulas? I haven’t got any doulas.”

“Do what?” Graham questions.

“Doulas. Birth partners.” Explains Mabli.

“She’s brilliant, but I need some men with me.”

“Yeah. We’re blokes, ain’t we?” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. All over it, yeah. Cool.” Ryan agreed with his grandad. Mabli turns to the Doctor now.

“Right now, I’m imagining you sorting this all out.”

“Me too. Be cautious. It could be anywhere.” Mabli nods as Ryan, Graham, and Yoss leave. You make a face and it makes the Doctor turn to you. “You okay, Y/N?” 

“Yeah, I’m just kind of bummed I wasn’t asked to be a doula… thought we bonded a bit when I was in his patient pod with him.” 

“Aw, yeah,” she scrunches her nose up a bit, “there’ll be another time to be a doula!”

“Loads of other opportunities, Y/N.” Yaz chimes in, squeezing your other hand. During your conversation with Yaz and the Doctor, you all almost miss hearing General Cicero ask the man with her for another adrenaline blocker, only for him to tell her that she used the last one.

“Doc, what’s an adrenaline blocker for?” You ask. She shakes her head at you, but instead talks to the General instead, making you pout a little. 

“Everything okay?” She asks her. 

“Yeah.”

“With me, please.” The Doctor says, steering everyone out into the corridor, and half dragging, half pulling you out there with her. Your face heats up again… is it weird to have a crush on someone you’ve basically only just met? 

A/N: Hello, my lovelies, I apologize for the late update, but my reasoning is in the post before this one. I do hope you enjoy this chapter, and please, leave a comment if you so wish! 


	32. Never Paying Attention (Pt. 7)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of things going on at once but... do you ever really pay attention?

Walking out into the corridor, Yaz takes the time to speak.

“Where do you think it is right now?”

“I don’t know. I can’t trace it since the diagnostics systems drained.” The Doctor responds to her. You hear Mabli whisper that she wants to talk to the Doctor in private, so you move to walk away to give them some privacy. The Doctor pulls you back and gives you a look. “Where do you think you’re going?” 

“Erm, Mabli said she wanted to speak with you privately, so… I was going to give you some privacy?”

“I told you that you stay with me, Y/N.” The Doctor says, growing serious for a moment.

“I am sure Yaz is perfectly capable of looking after me since you’re so worried.”

“Fine…” 

“ _ Freedom! _ ” You shout, trailing after Yaz, who gives a laugh at your outburst. “Hey.. don’t laugh at me,” you pout, “I was practically a prisoner of the Doctor.” 

“Well, by the look of your face, it looked like you weren’t that bothered by it.” Yaz responded, poking you in the ribs playfully. 

“Shut up!” You exclaim, poking her back. The Doctor rejoins you all in the drive chamber, but you are in your head about what Yaz said. _Were my feeling really that obvious?_ _I really hope no one else noticed_ , you thought to yourself. Your mind goes back to the brief kiss the Doctor gave you back in Yoss’s pod, the little hand squeezes, the looks… did she maybe feel the same? _No, of course not_ … you shake your head to erase the thoughts plaguing your attention. You haven’t the faintest idea how long you’ve been MIA in the real world, but when your attention finally returns, you hear the Doctor re-enter the drive chamber. When had she left? 

“It was here. I got rid of it, but it’ll be coming back.” Yaz told her.

“Wait,  _ what  _ was here?” You ask. Everyone remaining in the room looks at you like you’ve grown two heads.

“Did you… were you even paying attention? The Pting managed to work it’s way in here and I had to kick it out like I was Siobhan Chamberlain..” Yaz trailed off, almost as if she were trying to jog your memory.

“Sorry… I wasn’t entirely paying attention.” You could see that the Doctor was going to say something before her sonic lit up.

“Clever sonic. Self-rebooting.” She says.

“There’s a bomb in this room?” The man that was with the general earlier asked.

“Right in here.” The Doctor responds, gesturing to the base of whatever the thing in the middle of the room is. While the Doctor was talking, you moved closer to Yaz. 

“What’s this about a bomb? Did I really miss that much?” You whisper. She gives you a nod and a concerned look.

“Are you okay, mate? You’ve been a bit… elsewhere this entire time.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” 

“Ah, right, and we’re back in the TARDIS.” Yaz said in a sarcastic tone.

“...Ronan, keep guard. Yaz, Y/N, come on.” The Doctor tells you all before leading you both into the corridor and by what looks like an airlock. The Doctor gives a small laugh before speaking again. “Funny, I’m usually the one diffusing the bomb.” She sonicked open an airlock door and placed a small object on the floor. You look to Yaz and she mouthed ‘bomb’. “Pick a number between 1 and 100.” You were thinking of a number, but Yaz, as always, was quicker.

“51.” 

“Pentagonal number. Interesting.”

A/N: Greetings, lovelies! I apologize for the short hiatus, my grandmother passed away and I was trying to deal with that. This chapter is short, yes, but I felt too guilty to go any longer without updating. Please enjoy and leave a comment if you so choose <3 


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